The Summoned Event Series kicked off at Olive Baptist Church – Warrington, right outside the gates of NAS Pensacola. On Saturday, April 30th, numerous military spouses, women in uniform, and community church participants came together for a one-day military women’s event.
Co-sponsored by the Military Missions Network with Gary Sanders, Military Ministry at Olive Baptist Church, and other key partners, I was able to coordinate a multi-faceted effort with a ministry team to serve military-connected women on the Gulf Coast.
After the praise team ushered us into worship, Kathy Litton, Director of Planter Spouse Development at the North American Mission Board, opened the event, urging women in the local church to connect and serve military community members. She taught about having a sincere faith, a faith full of authenticity and intimacy with the Lord.
When I think about what it means to have a sincere faith in our community, I think about the process of building a relationship with Jesus that withstands the winds and waves of deployments, relocations, and reintegration. These terms are so much more than mere words to me. A faith that can stand firm in the face of uncertainty, or in the moments of my greatest fears, is what I hope to attain and share with the women in our community who are seeking answers.
After Kathy beautifully shared her heart for authenticity and sincerity, Taran Holland, a newer military spouse whose husband serves in the chaplaincy, took the stage to share her story. Her testimony, raw and real, encouraged everyone as she talked about how the Lord walked her through every challenge she faced when she had to adjust to military life.
Together, we all shared lunch in the fellowship hall. Chick-fil-A on Navy Blvd. sponsored our mealtime gathering and the entire room buzzed with conversation. The intention behind this event is to gather women together, women from the military community and the civilian local church, in order to weave together new connections and friendships.
So many times, our community is unintentionally (and sometimes intentionally) excluded from the local church. We are viewed as perpetual visitors at best. At worst, we are ignored because the local community knows we aren’t there “long enough” to get to know. When we have a spouse with boots on the ground somewhere else, and we are in the most desperate need of support or an extra pair of hands, oftentimes no one is coming.
At the core, the Summoned Event Series is determined to make an impact here. We need to be welcomed in and received. We should be plugged in to the local church and served through it.
When I took to the floor, I walked everyone through, chapter four. The story of Jesus and the woman at the well is one of my absolute favorite passages in Scripture because it is such a depiction of Jesus’s heart for women, his mission for discipleship, and, ultimately, his revelation of himself as Messiah to a broken and hurting world.
Finally, we had the distinct privilege of hearing from Dr. Ted Traylor, the Senior Pastor at Olive Baptist Church, Pensacola. He walked us through Ephesians and encouraged us immensely.
Throughout the next season of ministry, the Summoned Event Series will be coming to an installation near you. Partnering with new church plants, local congregations, and installation chapels, the Summoned Event Series team will be bringing a one-day women’s ministry event that is packed full of worship, encouragement, Bible teaching, and new connections.
Our next stop is Ft. Bragg, North Carolina on August 20th.
Save the Date now, follow @MegBrownWrites on Instagram and Facebook, or visit www.meganbbrown.com for more information and to keep updated on all of our event stops.
Our greatest desire to help carry the burden of creating new connections, to start building community at another place, and to remove the obstacles around sharing in The Great Commission.
