Women's Sabbath in Bietigheim, Germany

At the latest when the self-built minibus decorated with terms like "valuable" "unique" and "beyoutiful" drove to the stop on the church stage I realized: these sisters are unbelievable! The event was a special Sabbath for women. But what I experienced was more than that. It was a wonderful service for the whole congregation, in an atmosphere of celebration, prepared and performed with love.
The motto of this special Sabbath on May 18, 2019, was "BeYOUtiful" - a call to value ourselves and to see what God sees in us: His precious child. Valuable not because we are especially beautiful or have special gifts, but because we mean so much to God, our Heavenly Father. A subject that appealed to all ages and genders. After a moving sketch, wonderful group discussions and an encouraging sermon, the congregation and many guests had the opportunity to eat their fill at a large buffet. At around 2:00 pm, only the women and girls and their friends stayed behind for various creative workshops. Those who had no interest in the workshop offers sat together enjoying refreshments . The community hall had been transformed to a beautifully decorated Café Creatif where about 40 or 50 women bustled about.
The highlight of the afternoon was when several girls and women of different ages spoke about how they deal with the topic of "self-esteem" and what has helped them in difficult situations. What a blessing when we can share our experiences and encourage each other.
Incidentally, in Bietigheim-Bissingen, this women's Sabbath is integrated in an annual plan in which different groups of the community (children, men, women, senior citizens, etc.) are targeted with a special program including a church service and afternoon program. How enriching it would be if even more churches would take up such a concept in their annual plans for the many groups in the church and the community.
Reported by Jasmin Stanoschefsky, Women’s Ministries Director, Baden-Württemberg Conference