By Kathy Foor, CGWM Director
A little over a year ago, Lance Finlay, Executive Director of the CGGC, asked me, “Who is investing in you?” We were discussing Women’s Ministries during a break at Ad Council, and his question so stunned me that I had no words—a rare occurrence!
No one had ever asked me that question before! I am familiar with the other side of the question. “Who are you investing in?” l know the answer to that one! I’m investing in my children. I’m investing in my grandchildren. I’m investing in the lives of other friends and family. I’m investing in my church family as a worship leader. I’m investing in the lives of the choir members I direct. I’m investing in my CGWM leadership team and the women I meet at retreats and events where I am speaking. I am investing in a small group of women through a one-year coaching huddle. Wow! I’m exhausted just sharing the list.
I know you have a similar list. It’s what women do. We pour ourselves into the lives of others. We teach Sunday School, lead Bible studies, collect shoeboxes, provide funeral meals, and visit shut-ins. Many of us have full-time jobs and full-time families we’re still trying to juggle as well. So, I know you understand why Lance’s question caught me by surprise.
I was a little embarrassed to admit that I couldn’t think of anyone who was investing in me, but I’m thankful for Lance’s question, though. That brief discussion led to a new relationship with a woman who has been discipling me in a prophetic coaching huddle for the past year.
As a teacher, it is my nature to take whatever I am learning and pass it on to others. It is not what I do, it is who I am. It is how God wired me, so when I learned how important it is to not only invest in others but to have someone invest in me, I naturally wanted to share it.
What does this have to do with Women’s Ministries or the upcoming Flourish Conference? Funny you should ask! The theme of this year’s Flourish Conference takes us beyond last year’s theme of living boldly for God to Boots on the Ground: Advancing the Kingdom Together.
We are all different. God made us that way on purpose. Each of us is called to serve Him in our own unique way, but all of us are called to serve Him together to advance His Kingdom on the earth until He returns. None of us can do it alone. We need each other. When we grow together and serve together, the Holy Spirit builds a beautiful community that can spread the Gospel.
We are all commanded, “Go and make disciples.” When we obey that command together, God can multiply our efforts in amazing ways. God loves to multiply! All of creation testifies to this. From Genesis to Revelation God demonstrates multiplication.
You can multiply by one, but the outcome does not change. When you multiply by two, look what happens. The results double! With three, the results triple. Imagine what God could do with all of us working together to advance His Kingdom!
We are excited to present an incredible panel of six women at The Flourish Conference this year rather than one main speaker. Each of these precious women is actively advancing the Kingdom of God in her unique context.
Kimberly Reese, Discipleship Pastor at College First Church of God, will share with us her passion and strategies for reaching into the lives of the least, the last, and the lost. She and her family live life on mission together for Jesus.
April Ocasio, Pastor at Uplift Church in Halifax, PA, and founder of Isaiah 61 Ministries, will share the call she and her husband Angel have to minister to the homeless and less fortunate in their community.
Heidi Guyer is advancing the Kingdom in various ways. Passionate about helping those struggling with loss in various forms, she began co-leading a GriefShare at her church a few years ago that helps people in various stages of the grieving process. She is also very involved in Sweet Grace Ministries, a local ministry that works with individuals, couples, and families dealing with miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, and SIDS.
Carey Simms, founder of CreatedSpace, is passionate about how the church can make a social impact while proclaiming the gospel. As a spiritual director, she delights in helping people develop practices that deepen and enliven their friendship with God. She is passionate about equipping young leaders through life-on-life discipleship and leading new forms of church.
Elly Maconochie and her family came to America from the UK nine years ago in answer to God’s call to be a part of a missional community. Elly and her daughter Grace, Creative Director of the 3D Movement, will share what it is like to live as a family on mission together. We look forward to hearing their practical ways to love our neighbors and the people God has placed in our lives!
Most of us are not pastors or ministry leaders. In fact, most of us are just ordinary women whom God has called to build His Kingdom. Our calling is different, and yet when we gather to learn and grow together it often motivates, inspires, and activates us, so that multiplication results.
We want everyone who attends Flourish to go home empowered to participate in Kingdom-building in her unique context. We want to encourage you to live out your calling. We want to invest in you! More than that, we would love to invest in you beyond Flourish! We want to help you advance God’s Kingdom wherever you are in 2024. The harvest is ripe! We are praying for the Lord of the harvest to send forth workers (Matthew 9:38).
Come join us March 1-3 in Findlay, Ohio. Register now at
Reprinted from The Global Advocate, January/February 2024
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