PWOC Sunday 2011: Designated Offering September 10th and 11th

Leadership Development, News & Announcements
Sep 022011

Have you heard of PWOC Sunday? Have you heard of Designated Offerings in your local Chapel? Coming up on the weekend of September 10th and 11th, you have the opportunity to be part of something BIG! Did you realize that PWOC is found on three continents, eight regions and on over 130 installations around the world? The ministry of PWOC reaches over 8,000 women on a weekly basis on Air Force, Army, Navy/Marine and Joint bases across the globe, and PWOC International’s ministry is continually expanding!

Why is this weekend important to you? Because on this weekend, worldwide the offerings received in all Army Protestant chapel services are designated for the amazing ministry of Protestant Women of the Chapel (PWOC) in order to support the International and Regional levels of PWOC. This offering is the primary source of funding used to offset ministry operating costs such as expenses related to the International and Regional conferences held each year, leadership training worldwide, website and communications development, and much more. From this designated offering, yearly regional grants are determined and distributed by the Director of Information, Resource, Management and Logistics (IRML).

What if you’re not at an Army installation?  While September 10-11, 2011 is the date for the Army-wide mandatory designated offering, other branches are encouraged to request a designated offering for PWOC as well.  Visit the Resource Library here to download an explanation for how to request a PWOC offering at your chapel: http://resources.pwoc.org/designated-offering.

You might be asking how you can be involved on this Sunday. We encourage local PWOCs to participate with their Chaplains at all Protestant services that weekend. Here are a few ideas for you to join in on these services:

• Lead worship

• Sing with the choir

• Do a skit such as Cardboard Testimonies: http://resources.pwoc.org/programs/archives2011

• Show the new PWOC Promotional Video: https://sites.google.com/site/pwoconlineresourcelibrary/designated-offering

• Insert PWOC Publicity flyers into the bulletins at each Protestant services and even the two weeks prior

• Act as ushers

• Do the Scripture readings

• Share testimonies of how PWOC has transformed lives and families

 PWOC ladies are encouraged to participate in the services in any way allowed by the Chaplain.

Need some tools to help? Offered at the PWOC Resource Library (http://resources.pwoc.org/) are a few ways to communicate the message about PWOC to the chapel congregations. In the 2011 Your Kingdom Come Installation Program, you can find details of how to use Cardboard Testimonies on the PWOC Sunday to make an impact. These often take 10-15 minutes, and might be most appropriate during a portion of the time allotted for announcements and worship, before the Designated Offering. Remember to bring extra cardboard and markers, and invite those congregated to participate if they so choose.  A bulletin insert is available for download to be used in conjunction with the Cardboard Testimonies.

Newly created is the PWOC Promotional Video for download here: https://sites.google.com/site/pwoconlineresourcelibrary/designated-offering This can be shown to the congregation to see the worldwide, life-changing ministry of PWOC. Along with this video is a matching PWOC bulletin insert that can be used for that weekend or even two weeks prior to promote the offering.

We need your help!   

• Pray for the Lord to open up the hearts of those in chapels on September 11 to invest into the ministry of PWOC.

• Get the word out! The Designated Offering comes one time a year for the Army! This is an opportunity for the Chapel community to see the life-changing impact that PWOC has on the military families and women in their midst.

• Get involved with your PWOC Chaplain and plan a PWOC Sunday at every Protestant Chapel service on your military installation.

What a great ministry opportunity each PWOC has in showing the Chapel community around the world how the Lord is transforming lives.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Ephesians 3:20-21

If you have any further questions, please contact the PWOCI Financial Liaison at financial@pwoc.org. Let us know how your PWOC Sunday goes with a follow up testimony at Testimony@pwoc.org.

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Church Steeples and God's People

Devotions
May 232011

Submitted by: Elnora White

“Oh, what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day!” I hear geese honking, flying to some unknown destination. This day in February feels like an early spring day. The bright, warm sun seems to be shining directly upon this spot, a stone bench outside of Chapel where I sit. Thick rows of fir trees line the bluffs behind the parking lot. A large, bright flag hangs softly, edges turning gently in the breeze. The brick chapel’s tall white steeple points toward heaven, offering comfort to all generations. It is a homey and picturesque reminder in each village or town of our need to touch God.

This chapel has been the warm, comforting hug of retirees, and the encouragement of a few dear families to fellowship with in our homes. It has been an affirmation of my husband and I as Christian parents and people. But it hasn’t always been that way. Sometimes, the feeling of belonging in a Church body takes time.

I remember when my family first felt called to attend the chapel service on our base. It was a new church community for us, and in our previous duty station we had left behind rich fellowship and relationships at a civilian church. I remember my then five-year-old son and I developing a routine after the chapel service was over and we were heading to our Suburban. Ian would pick holly berries off of a tree near the front of our chapel building. We would walk side-by-side, tossing berries over our shoulders and making “wish prayers” to our Lord. My prayer was always the same: ”Dear Lord, please help us to get invited to a family’s home so we can eat and fellowship together and begin to feel like we belong.” How many Sundays did I pray this prayer, tossing berries over my shoulder?

Thankfully, after months of faithful chapel attendance, God heard our prayers. My son and I exclaimed to each other after our first dinner with a family, “The wish prayer, the wish prayer! God heard our prayer!”

The Lord has given my husband and me a calling to attend our chapel on base and plug into our military community. Sometimes we wondered what we were doing and how long the dry spell would last for us at our new chapel. As I look back upon God’s faithfulness to our family, I remember a verse my mother used to quote to me when I was a child.  ”If the vision seems slow, wait for it. It will surely come. It will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:3 (paraphrase)

Even though right now, unlike on that lovely February day, we have no chapel spire to look up at (we are meeting in the base theater due to chapel renovations), the fellowship God has given us with chapel families still points us toward heaven.

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What's going on in the Alaska Region?

regional review
Dec 022010

Submitted by Alicia Mayer, Alaska Region, President

There are so many great things happening in and around the Alaska Region it will be hard to maintain ‘blog length’ so I will pick one to share!

The most exciting thing happening here in Alaska is growth in Jesus!  Our sisters from Ft Greely are becoming active in this ministry and were able, with a lot of support from the Chapel community, to attend the PWOC International Conference for the first time ever!  Why is this such a big deal?  Aside from having the opportunity to lift up our sisters and for them to be a part of the PWOC ministry,  let me tell you a little about Ft Greely, AK.  Ft Greely is located in the interior of Alaska, in the winter time they have close to 24 hours of time that the sun barely comes above the horizon.  The closest town to them is Delta Junction with a population of about 1000 people…total!  To put that in perspective, the 6 ladies that attended the International Conference got to worship our Lord with more ladies than the population of the town they shop in!  Can you imagine?  They were able to fill their cup to overflowing before returning to Alaska so much so that I received this note from them when they returned,

“Praise God Alicia!  After all He did in, through and to us this weekend we were given the most awesome gift of leading a young soldier that was on our last flight to Christ right there in Fairbanks International at the midnight hour!”   EXCITING!

We ask for continued prayer for these ladies and their chaplain as they continue to seek God’s guidance to spread the Gospel to a community in our region that could really benefit from the work and heart of PWOC.

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Shine in the Light of His Glory - West Region

regional review
Oct 282010

What an inspiring theme we have this year! Shine in the Light of His Glory! And the scriptures truly encapsulate the ministry of PWOC.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:14-16

The other day I was in a conversation with a chaplain who said; “PWOC is the light of the chapel.  They bring the good news of hope and help to women every week! They share the love of God with women whose husbands are deployed and they help with the vision of the Chapel ministry!  PWOC women are the Sunday School teachers and the volunteers for the Harvest Festival.  The ministry at Chapel is more vibrant because of PWOC!”

What an amazing testimony of “Shine in the light of God’s Glory!”

The light PWOC shines brings glory to God!  The light we shine comes from God!

As surely as the moon has no light of its own but reflects the light of the sun; we have no light except that of the Son of God! Our goal is to reflect Jesus in such a way that many are blessed and give glory to God!

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  KJV says “from Glory to Glory!” 2 Corinthians 3:18

Beholding Jesus changes us.

“Beholding leads to becoming and becoming to reflecting.” Max Lucado

In PWOC we behold HIM in our praise and worship and Bible Study! As we behold Him we become more like Him!  We reflect Him in such a way that others are drawn to Jesus and the glory goes to God!

Shining in the light of His Glory,

Victoria Robinson

PWOC West Region Titus 2

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Multiplication Not Division

Leadership Development, Leadership Wednesday, News & Announcements
Jul 222009

Melinda Hemphill, PWOCI 3VP CommunicationsIn twenty-one years of being married to a soldier, I have been blessed with many great experiences on military bases in the U.S., in Europe and in Asia.  One of those great experiences is that I have known some of the best people in the world and have called them friends. Another blessing, which is connected to the first, is the chapel ministry that we know and love, PWOC. When the call comes to move to another installation, we often feel that a division has taken place.  There are emotions that occur, and they are normal.  They are! They happen! I’d like to propose that changes like moving or expanding or any change in direction is not a division, but instead, a multiplication of sorts. This means that while a new board is selected for the Pacific Region during the conference, a new regional board will be selected for Asia Region simultaneously.  Please be in prayer for these ladies who will hear the call of God on their lives and step forward to lead two strategic regions in God’s greater work for His Kingdom.  Think about how twice the number of regional leaders, chaplains and funds can be used in the fulfillment of PWOC’s Aims!    Multiplication for Jesus, not division!

In the fall of 2009, the Pacific Region (Hawaii, Guam, Japan, Korea) will “multiply,” and a new region will be birthed at the regional conference in Hawaii.  The new Asia Region will consist of Japan and Korea, while Guam and Hawaii will remain in the Pacific Region.

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