Alaska Region Update

regional review
Nov 032011

Submitted by Treva Slaughter, Alaska Regional President

I love Jesus,  not just for dying on the cross for my sins, but also for loving me the way He does and chasing after me the way He does. When I got here, God showed me that His desire for me and the women of this Region, was to be Caleb’s and Joshua’s and to possess the land that He had promised us (Deuteronomy 1:8). He was waiting for us to stand up and be the women of God, He had called us to be, and continues to call us each day. God desires us to trust Him, obey and follow Him TOTALLY and not to be just hearers but also doers of the word (James 1:22). Despite what we see from others in this world, or in our churches, His desire for us is to be true followers so that when people see us, our Father in Heaven can be glorified.

As we kicked off the conference season, I was honored to see God’s promise fulfilled through His women in the Alaska Region. I witnessed firsthand true followers of Christ. Women who took a stand and said, “No more will we be conformed to the pattern of this world but we will be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2).” I saw women that were totally focused on God’s will for His Kingdom. Women that put their own selfish desires, thoughts, religious customs and traditions away and went to God in prayer, supplication and true worship, proclaiming “Here I am Lord send me, I’ll go to the Nations so the whole world will know your love and compassion and WE together will possess the land you promised us. Powerful, Right? Now, imagine how we felt as we got to witness this first hand.

I believe God is speaking the same message to us all over the world. As you all approach your conference, Alaska wants to be the first to encourage you to continue to seek God’s face in prayer, forgive others and ask for forgiveness when needed so that your prayers will not be hindered. Trust God at His word, and then obey exactly what He speaks to you to do.

WE promise you sisters (and I know many of you know this) but for the slight chance some don’t. Our Father promised us in 2 Chronicles 7:14, if those of us who are called by his name will pray and turn from our wicked ways then He will hear from heaven, forgive and heal our land.

I know we are ready for our land to be healed Sisters, so let’s take God at His word and watch him fulfill His promise to the Nations. Know that Alaska is praying for you all and we can’t wait to hear the great reports of how God moved at ALL the conferences!

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Europe Region Update

regional review
May 122011

By Chris Young, Europe Region President

There has been a great deal of activity and change happening in our region over the last few weeks.  It’s made me realize how comfortable we get doing the same things year after year and it has also accentuated the fact that change can be complicated, especially when it affects so many people.

After many years of having our conferences at the same hotel we made a change in venue and, on the surface, that doesn’t seem like that big of a deal.   But it was.   We have long standing relationships with our last hotel and we have a detailed schedule that has only had to be tweaked slightly from year to year.  We had a well oiled machine of sorts.  We had set patterns of behavior and expectations.  We knew how to program our GPS and where we were going to.  Then it all changed!

The reality is that our new location, Edelweiss, is a secure location and we have chosen to err on the side of caution, at least for the foreseeable future.

Likewise, for many years, we had trained both the executive and appointed positions.  This year, due to space restrictions, we are only training the executive positions.   We’ve had to downsize and simplify in many ways.  Last year we trained 200 women whereas this year we have registered just over a hundred.  It’s different.

As our board has worked to adjust to this new reality, it’s been so inspiring to be a part of a team that is ready and willing to respond to these changes.  God is in charge and He is after something new this year.  Yes, things are going to look much different in 2011 but they are going to be good.  We can trust the Father and rest in His plan knowing Father knows best.

Ultimately I think trust is the main issue in all of these changes.  Do we trust God enough?  Do we believe that He does indeed see us and know what is best for us?  Can we yield to His plan with all of the unknowns?  Can we trust Him?  Proverbs 3:4-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

For those of you impacted in our region, we ask for your understanding, prayers and grace as we move forward.  We are trusting God and want to walk in His present path and plan for our region, not remain in yesterday’s comfort zone out of convenience.  We are thankful for His today provision (Edelweiss), protection and guidance and are so grateful for the opportunity to serve you in this season of change.

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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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Conference Perspective

Real life stories, regional review
Nov 252010

Diane Hall- Southeast Region President

I was blessed to attend the 2010 PWOC International Fall Conference and listen to the remarkable teaching of Priscilla Shirer.  She spoke of who God is and pointed out that we have a God who has an omniscient presence in our lives. But I took pause when she added that He wants us to witness His manifest, or obvious, presence in our lives.  She explained that there are seasons, times, and events when we are in the presence of God but we miss it.  Biblical examples were Gen 28:16, Luke 24:13-35 and John 20:14.  This challenged me to reflect on His presence, on where I look to see it and if I have I missed it.

A few summers ago our family vacationed at the beach.  I was rose early one morning to meet with God on the shore.  As I strolled along the water’s edge and looked at the sand, I asked God to show me something incredible.  I progressed very slowly, looking for a magnificent shell or any other thing of beauty or significance.  But sadly, the feeling of disappoint with God’s lack of response began to set in and doubt began to prevail.

A number of steps later I heard God’s gentle voice say, “Look up.”  As my head lifted, I gazed at the manifest presence of God at work to light the world!  The sun was just above the horizon, peeking through clouds of billowy white.  The sky was painted in a full spectrum of reds and yellows on a backdrop of a new day’s promise.  God answered my request and was showing me something incredible!

That day I realized that I often focus on the path in front of me for a glimpse of God’s manifest presence.  But His vivid illustration showed me that I must keep my eyes looking upward so He can reveal Himself to me.  His presence is obvious and easily recognized, if we are looking to Him.  He is something incredible!

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Conference Perspective

regional review
Nov 192010

Kelly Phillips, Pacific Region President, November 2010

As I write this, I am sitting in the Hyatt Regency in Dallas.  I’M AT CONFERENCE!!!  And it is so completely amazing!  If you were not one of the fortunate 1,334 precious women of God who were blessed to attend conference, then please allow me to share a little bit with you.  God is awesome!  God is great!  He alone is worthy of our praise!  And He has a plan for YOUR life!

I came to conference especially anxious to hear God speak to me because I’m in a season of discouragement right now.  I want to give up.  Everywhere I turn, there are hard things.  Our speaker, Priscilla Shirer, spoke last night and expounded on Genesis 28:10-17.  (You should probably stop and read that now!)  She explained that like Jacob, sometimes when we get to the hard places in life, we are tempted to look at the stones around us and just go to sleep.  That is truly what I have wanted to do.  I have been tempted to sleep walk through this season of my life; to be physically present but mentally and emotionally “checked out.”  Have you ever done that?

As Priscilla spoke last night, she explained that “there’s good stuff in the hard stuff.”  She explained that in the Hebrew text, “certain places” are sacred places.  They are places that God has been before.  And they are places where we grow the most.  They are the places that God brings us to so that we can become more like Him.  “Certain places” are the places where we receive the biggest blessings.  When she stated that, it was like a fog lifted.  This entire conference has been such an encouragement to my weary self.

If, like me, you are in a hard place, a place where you would just like to move on to the next thing, can I encourage you to STOP!  Don’t miss the blessing!  God has brought you to this place, at this time, for this season – for HIS purposes.  You are a one of a kind masterpiece and He is working on you!  God has a purpose for whatever it is that you are going through.  I know it is difficult now, but as James said in James 1: 2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”  I know that I want to “lack nothing.”  How about you?

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Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord

regional review, Testimonies
Nov 092010

MAKE a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

~Psalm 100

This is one of my favorite psalms in Scripture. In fact, I love it so much, my husband and I included it in our wedding.

This psalm speaks of worship—making joyful shouts, singing happy songs and serving God with gladness. In short, there are times to worship the Lord with expression. The next part speaks of WHY we worship; because He is worthy. He is God and he made us.

As I sit writing these thoughts, we are just days away from gathering in Dallas for our International Conference. I keep imagining our praise and worship time when more than 1,300 of us raise our voices together to praise the Lord.

Conference is certainly about learning more about how to minister to our military community. It is also about fellowship with old friends and making new ones. It will be a time of refreshing and deep spiritual growth.

As we approach the conference, anticipating all the weekend holds for us, we need to remember the most important thing; we participate in PWOC because we want to grow closer to the Lord. We do what we do because of the great sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for us. He is the reason we want to learn more. He is the reason we have fellowship. He refreshes us and causes us to grow.

So, soak in all that conference has to offer and worship with joy during our praise and worship time. He is worthy of our praise and He will be greatly blessed by our corporate worship. I am imagining that praise and worship time might just be a little taste of what Heaven will be like…

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Countdown Prayer for International Conference 2010

Prayer Points
Nov 052010

Day 5:  As God’s fellow workers (workers together for Christ) we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.  For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”  I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. Glory, glory, glory to you , O Lord.  We praise you Father, and thank you Lord for saving us from ourselves, the world and the evil one.  By your stripes, we are healed, O King, by your death and Resurrection we are raised to new life in You. We pray for all of us who want a special touch at the conference; a touch of grace, a touch of your healing power, a touch of your Infinite Love. 2Cor. 6:1,2

Day 4:  We do have such a High Priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven. … because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.  Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He lives to intercede for them. Yes, and Amen O Lord.  Words cannot express our gratefulness and love you have shown us…by your death and Resurrection, we have access to your throne of grace to receive mercy and grace.  Heb. 7:24, 8:1,2

The Ark of Covenant/Mercy Seat: Intimacy

Day 3: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  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. O Yes, Lord, we say yes to You, we say yes to the freedom that comes from your Glory.  Transform us, fill us with your Holy Spirit.  We thank you Lord for PWOC-I making this conference possible. We bless all those involved from the beginning to the end, and we have open hearts prepared for your message to us. 2Cor.3:17,18

Day 2:  Forgetting what is behind and looking what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body. Lord, we look forward to that day of great rejoicing when we embrace our true citizenship and your work of transformation will be complete.  We do eagerly await and press on because we love you, Lord Jesus, our King, our Savior. For now, Lord, we pray for traveling mercies for all, from all over the earth, that your protection will be with those traveling to the Conference. Philip. 3:13,20,21

Day 1:  Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord.  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.  May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth bless you from Zion.  Psalm 134

Praise the Lord.  Praise the name of the Lord; praise Him, you servants of the Lord, you who minister in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.  Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to His Name, for that is pleasant.  Psalm 135

At His Tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. Psalm 27

Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name.  Worship the Lord in the splendor of His Holiness. Psalm 29:1,2

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Countdown Prayer to International Conference 2010

Prayer Points
Oct 292010

The Table of Showbread: Sustenance—Communion with the Word

Day 12:  For the Word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Lord, you are the Word made flesh, and You are living and active in our lives.  Search us O Lord, and judge our thoughts and attitudes today, and see how we can love you more.  We pray for our marriages, Lord, help us to receive our spouse as a gift from You.  Teach us Lord to respect our husbands out of obedience to Your Word. Thank you Lord for loving us unconditionally. Hebrews 4:12

Day 11: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.King of Heaven, Lord of lords, we worship you today, in Spirit and in Truth.  We daily come to you for fresh manna, a Word in season so that we may be refreshed, we may commune with you daily.  Thank you Lord for your protection and blessings.  Give us the desire to be in your Word daily, so that we may honor you in all we do and say.  In Jesus name, we pray, Amen. Revelation 2:17

Day 10: For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk in blameless. Thank you Lord that you protect and sustain us.  We ask today for all our loved ones downrange in harm’s way, that You, Mighty God will be a sun and shield for them.  We ask for favor for them and for you Lord, to honor them.  Thank you Lord for your Sustaining love and protection. Psalm 84:11

The Altar of Incense: Intercession/Worship—Priestly Prayers and Songs of Intercession

Day 9: Your throne O God, will last forever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your Kingdom. Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear; forget your people and your father’s house. The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord. Heavenly Father, we thank you Lord, that our worth comes from you…help us Lord, to be gracious and kind with one another, forgiving easily as You Lord have forgiven us.  Thank you Lord that our beauty is one of a humble and contrite heart.  We honor you, O Lord, our King.  Psalm 45:6,10,11

Day 8:…that all of them may be one, just as You are in Me and I am in You. I in them and You in Me.  May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as you have loved Me. Father, you prayed for us all to have unity in You.  We confess Lord, we are often far from being united in our homes, in our churches, in our ministries. We pray an anointing of unity on this conference, a spirit of joy, love, peace, self control and gentleness for all.  We pray for the staff at the hotel, that they would be full of grace towards us, and that we would shine like Jesus, each and every one of us. John 17: 21,23

Day 7: And Mary said:  My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—Holy is His Name.Father, let us rejoice together in the wonderful story of your mother, Mary.  Let her life be an example to us, she endured, she persevered, she persisted in what was Your will for her.  Prepare our hearts to hear the Word from our keynote speaker, Priscilla Shirer, and let us be encouraged to bring that Word home to our hearts and our families. In Jesus Name, Amen. Luke 2:46-49

The Veil:  Access/Admittance –Family Only

Day 6: And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up his spirit.  At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom…… The centurion and the guards exclaimed, “Surely He was the Son of God!” O Lord, help us to reflect on your greatness, your sacrifice for us..and help us to see the power of God available to us because of the work you did on the Cross. Keep us calm and focused as we get ready to come to Dallas always remembering the Cross, focus us on the joy of our salvation. In Christ’s name above all names, Amen. Matthew 27:50-54

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Prayer Countdown to International Conference 2010

Prayer Points
Oct 262010

IV The Candlestick—Illumination—Holy Spirit Enablement

Day 15: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lord, your promises are true.  We praise you O Holy Spirit, and we pray for all the nations covered in darkness.  Arise, shine Holy Spirit in each one of us and may the glory of the Lord shine in Dallas as we prepare to meet there.  We pray for all the audio visual and sound equipment to work perfectly, we pray for those involved and running all the equipment to have Holy Spirit illumination. And we pray for the worship team to make a pure, joyful noise unto you O Lord…may all our voices come together in joyful Praise of you, O Lord, our King.  Is. 60:1-3

Day 14: You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Father in Heaven, Light of the World, you who came down to darkness in this world, we Praise you King of Kings and we glorify you as we wait for your return.  Fill us with your Light and teach us your ways so that we too, may have our light shine before all. Matt. 5:14, 16

Day 13: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. O Lord, what a wonderful promise; Holy Spirit, pray for us, we are weak, we are your sheep, O Lord, and we humble ourselves today and ask for you to reveal to us what keeps us from knowing and loving you more, Abba Father.

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Get out of the Boat

regional review, Testimonies
Oct 262010

Submitted by Stacie Dorris, Southeast VP

Last summer, (2009), our family moved from Ft. Leavenworth, KS back to Ft. Bragg, NC.   I started attending the local PWOC where they were studying, “If You Want To Walk On Water You Have To Get Out Of The Boat”, by John Ortburg.  This book reflects on the passage in Matthew 14 where Christ bids Peter to meet him on the water.  God used this study in a powerful way to reveal His calling on my life.

First, I was challenged to facilitate a workshop at the Southeast Regional Conference 2009.  I had facilitated local Bible study classes but had never facilitated a workshop at conference.   This was a huge step for me.   Once out of the boat I found myself saying, “What am I doing? I can’t do this.”   Like Peter, walking on water seemed an impossible task.  Little did I know, this was only my first step on the water.

While at conference, God began to speak to my heart regarding serving on the Southeast Regional board.   As the regional Chaplain prayed for the women who would be serving on the upcoming regional board, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to my heart, step out.   Then, one of the leadership selection committee members spoke and said, “I believe God is calling some of you to get out of the boat!”   I knew God was speaking to my heart.   I guess God thought, your already out of the boat just keep walking.   So, here I am, out of my comfort zone, out of the boat, walking on water serving as the Southeast Regional Vice President.

Let me share with you some of the lessons I am learning as I am out on the water.   First, as I mentioned previously, the first step is always the hardest.  Once you surrender to the call and step out God is so faithful and meets you there.  He grants you the grace, strength and vision to do what He is calling you to.   Like in the old Indiana Jones movie when Harrison Ford steps out over a cliff because he knows it’s the right path to take.    As soon as he steps out over the ledge, the bridge appears.   That’s the way it is with God.  “We walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Cor. 5:7)    We take the step of faith and His strong arm appears and holds us up.

Secondly, I am experiencing God in great ways.   God has so clearly guided and provided for our conference site, speaker and praise and worship facilitator.  I can’t wait to share those stories.   I wouldn’t want to have missed this adventure with God for anything!  It is definitely more comfortable in the boat but it is certainly more exciting on the water!

Lastly, let me encourage you, if God is calling you to get out of the boat and serve Him within the ministry of PWOC, you can rest assured, He will met you there!

_________________

The Southeast region update is published on the fourth Tuesday of every month. For questions or comments please email southeastpresident@pwoc.org

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