NPWL is all about Networking -  helping women connect with other women to share ideas and resources. Here is a story of just this kind of connection. First Presbyterian Church, Medford, New Jersey and Central Presbyterian, Baltimore, Maryland.

Last week, three women made the long drive from Medford, NJ to Baltimore just to attend Women on Wednesdays! They knew about Central because their pastor serves together with me (Debbie Schmidt) on the board of Presbyterians for Renewal (PFR). The women from New Jersey were interested in starting a Women’s Ministry at their own church and so they had contacted me because of my involvement with the Women’s Ministry of PFR, the Network of Presbyterian Women in Leadership (NPWL).

The women from New Jersey sat in on three different classes at WoW and then had lunch with five of our past and present women leaders. The women from Central asked careful questions about the church in New Jersey, the things that had been tried and the dreams of our guests for their own church’s ministry. In an affirming exchange, we shared ideas, made suggestions and offered resources to help the women from New Jersey take the next step in reaching out to the other women of their church and their community. As they left, they seemed enthused and encouraged about what God could do in their church as they began to build a loving community among the women there.

An unexpected benefit of this time together came for the women of Central. As we talked with our guests and shared from our own successes and failures, we began to see how much we had learned from God through our own experiences. We saw that, even though some of us may feel like we’re beginners in ministry, we still have things to contribute to others. And we all left with a greater appreciation for what God is doing here at Central through WoW and through the other women’s ministries we have. It was a joy to be used by God to help encourage and equip other members of the Body of Christ!