Women’s Ministries Weekend in Southern France

More than thirty women from all over France gathered at the Moulin de l'Ayrolle from November 4 to 6, 2022 for the first Women’s Ministries event of this term. The training "Speaking is a need, listening is an art" took on a profound human and spiritual dimension due to the quality of the presenter, Marc Klinkhamer, President of the Ligue Vie & Santé and music therapist, as well as the framework set by the entire organizing team led by Diane Régis, the new director of Women’s Ministries of the South France Conference.
The Program
This training event for WM leaders from local churches in Southern France welcomed a small group of leaders from France North, who came to discover what is being done in their neighboring conference.
Starting on Friday evening, Marc anchored the weekend in the experiential. Each person was invited to distinguish their thoughts of evaluation from a posture of connection, two keywords that became the common thread of the weekend. Six very practical tools were introduced.
Times of worship, walks, announcements and informal exchanges surrounded the practical workshops, giving the participants time to question and use the presented tools.
Highlights
Corina Timofté, WM leader of the Franco-Belgian Union, took some time to introduce Diane Régis and to warmly thank her predecessor, Marie-Pierre Pechoux, for the quality of the work accomplished during the last 8 years and the establishment of a solid team.
Corina shared a powerful spiritual reflection on dealing with frustration by emphasizing the power of the Word. What impact do our words have on our thoughts? Using James 3:10 as a guide, Corina urged participants to pay close attention to the words they speak, as they shape the mind and determine the course of life. "Our language influences and directs us. We go in the direction our words take us because they are powerful and creative, they control our lives," she said.
To guard against all forms of pessimism and destructiveness, Paul's words in his letter to the Philippians are still relevant: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things."
This message of benevolence towards oneself and others translated perfectly into the workshop presented by Marc Klinkhamer. Experiencing a change in attitude and behavior when faced with difficulties we are equipped to step out of a form of evaluation to seek a connection with ourselves and the divine. The Sabbath afternoon workshop was a time of active sisterhood.