DOUBLE THE FUN
Overland Park, Kansas—The Women’s Connection in Overland Park, a suburb of Kansas City, nearly doubled its numbers at its most recent event.
“We had 47 women last month, and we climbed to almost 100 this time,” said Hospitality Coordinator Vicki Norton. “Because there were so many people, the energy level was very high, and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun.”
Those involved in planning the event made phone calls, inviting women who had not attended for several months. They also made an effort to mail invitations and distribute flyers in the area. “We had many women attend who hadn’t been to a meeting in a long time, as well as 27 first-timers,” said Vicki.
Out of the 93 women who attended, one woman made a decision for Christ and two said they were interested in joining a Stonecroft Bible Study (Friendship Bible Coffee).
The event featured a fair with representatives from local businesses. Next month, the group has invited experts from a local salon to offer beauty and health tips.
Pray that this group will continue to grow!
THE POWER OF PRAYER
Tallahassee, Florida—Stonecroft has a variety of training materials available to the volunteer leaders who serve in local outreach groups. One Chair in Florida received an extra bonus of encouragement after putting into action what she learned from one training video.
Marilyn Nase relates, “As I watched the video The Purpose and Passion of the Planning Team, I was so impressed with the portion that talked about the power of prayer. It inspired me to pray more fervently, asking God to provide the leaders needed for our Planning Team.”
God answered Marilyn’s prayers. This month, they had a training session for their brand new, fully staffed team.
RULES AND BOUNDARIES
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe—Laurel Carcary had some rules and boundaries for herself in regard to church stuff and she made sure others knew about them.
“I don’t talk. I don’t read the Bible. I don’t read aloud. I don’t do homework,” she said again and again when Julie Caddick would invite her to join a Stonecroft Bible Study.
“Everytime Julie saw me, she would invite me,” Laurel said. “Finally, I thought I would go to avoid being invited again.”
Laurel explained that despite all her rules and boundaries about church stuff, she had never studied the Bible before. She admitted she knew the basics, but her relationship with God was “not a very close one.”
Attending that first Bible study started Laurel down a road that would change her view of the Bible, “church stuff,” and life. Because she now regularly attends the Bible studies (“Now I’m the most faithful one there”) she said she has a greater understanding of God’s love and care for her. Now she knows scriptures better and understands more about how they apply to her life.
Laurel is a regular attendee of one of the nine Bible studies currently active in Bulawayo.
“I really enjoy it and now I stick to Julie like glue.”
TEEIN' AND DEALIN'
Broken Bow, Nebraska—Whether you’re teeing up on a golf course or partnering up to play bridge, God can work. Consulting Coordinator Jean Ramsey knows this firsthand.
Nancy plays golf and bridge, and when she received Jesus Christ in the Stonecroft Friendship Bible Coffee Connecting With God—A Guide to Prayer, she wanted to make sure others knew about their need for Him in their lives. After speaking with Jean, Nancy put together a list of women she knew needed the Lord.
The result is two studies of Who is Jesus? One meets every Wednesday morning with about three bridge players and a few others. A different group of golfing women meets at a country club on Thursday morning. They had planned to golf first, then have their Bible study. But so far, they’ve only golfed once!
Women in both groups are from a mixture of backgrounds and walks of faith. Jean is using much of what she learned at the IMPACT ’06 conference not only with these women, but also in her everyday life. She has fifteen Stonecroft Bible Studies going right now, with hopes of starting three couples studies in the future.
According to Jean, “It’s all about Jesus.” We know it’s true.
IMPRISONED BUT FREE
“. . . When you did it to one of the least of these . . . you were doing it to me!” —Matthew 25:36, NLT
Brookings, Oregon—You are probably familiar with the above verse—Jesus’ answer to the righteous who were unsure of when they showed kindness to Him, like feeding Him, clothing Him, or visiting Him in prison.
It could be said that Gale Lakey, a Consulting Coordinator in Brookings, is showing God’s love “to the least of these.” Gale has recently begun using Stonecroft Bible studies to reach out to women who are in jail in a nearby town.
Gale is still trying to figure out the best way to do the study. Most of the women are transient. One week, none of the women were interested in participating, and another week, she was unable to get in touch with the sergeant to even find out if anyone was interested. “But it'll come together for His glory, I know,” says Gale.
Some things have already come together for three of the women—they made the life-changing decision to make Jesus Christ their Savior during one of the lessons. Praise God that He is using Gale to reach “the least of these!”
MOVIE UNDER THE STARS
Kansas City, Missouri—Stonecroft Ministries International Headquarters recently hosted an outdoor movie night for the community.
A group of 130 children and adults sprawled out on blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy a family feature, popcorn, and a beautiful summer evening.
Marshelle Lyons, coordinator of the event, walked door to door in the heat, inviting people.
“Since we ask our volunteers and groups to reach out to their communities, we want to do the same thing,” said Marshelle. “We want our neighbors to know Jesus. We pray that when they step onto Stonecroft Headquarters, they will feel the love of Jesus. God has blessed us with a beautiful campus, and we want to share it!”
The next headquarters’ event for the community will be a picnic filled with music, games, and food on Saturday, July 1, 2006 at 5 p.m. CST.
A "RIBBETING" IDEA
College Station, Texas—What do frogs and Prayer Connections have in common? More than you might think.
The Bryan Christian Women’s Club uses a unique prayer prompter to remind those who attend their Prayer Connections to “Fully Rely On God.” It is a small plush frog nicknamed “Faith.” Each month, one attendee takes Faith the frog home with her as a visual reminder to rely on God in every situation.
“The next month, they return and tell how they were blessed by the reminder of God’s sovereignty, power, or comfort,” states Prayer Coordinator Pat Griffin. “Powerful stories are shared each time that encourage others to trust—not worry or fret.”
TO DISCO OR NOT TO DISCO
Johannesburg, South Africa—Lyn Coombes grew up in a Christian home, but preferred the disco over Friday night youth group and going to the beach with friends to going to church with her family.
“When I got married, I was so happy to get out of that home and I decided I would never go to church again,” she recalls. Now though, Lyn remembers Merlyn Strickland, a fellow Rotary Club member, inviting her to a Stonecroft Bible Study. “I avoided her. I did not want to be involved in anything that had to do with church,” Lyn said. “But she was everywhere! I went to the market, she was there. Everywhere I went, she was right there.”
Finally, to save further embarrassment, Lyn agreed to go to the Bible study. The group began the study of the Gospel of Mark. At the same time, several of Lyn’s neighbors were investigating a local church out of curiosity and Lyn and a friend decided to join them. One Monday afternoon, because of what she learned in the Bible study and heard at church, Lyn knelt by her bed and gave her life to Jesus Christ. Now Lyn is the treasurer of the Woodmead Christian Women’s Club in Johannesburg.
Learn more about Stonecroft Bible Studies.
BREAD OF LIFE
Saint Louis, Missouri—God continues to open doors and Stonecroft volunteers continue to seize the moment to tell others about Jesus Christ.
Bible study Coordinator Silvia Simakoff recently met a young woman named Kathy* at the St. Louis Bread Company. As they chatted, Kathy shared a few areas of her life with which she was concerned.
Silvia told her that there were no answers which would help, except the ones from God. She then suggested a Bible study and Kathy readily agreed.
Silvia had just completed the Stonecroft Bible study Connecting with God: A Guide to Prayer and had two Study Books available.
Silvia and Kathy are now meeting weekly at the bread company to see what God has in store for their lives through this Stonecroft study.
*Name has been changed.
A TRUE POWER WALK
Lewis Center, Ohio—Stonecroft Regional Field Director Gail Dudley decided to use her morning walk as a time to pray. Inspired by Stonecroft founder Helen Duff Baugh’s example, as shared in The Story Goes On, Gail decided to ask others in the neighborhood if they would join her in prayer.
So one morning as she walked, she stopped and chatted with a couple of women from the neighborhood. She simply asked them, “What do you do when you walk?” One answered, “Talk about life, kids, husband, and what I have to do today.” Gail said, “Ever thought about praying about those things?” Since both women responded positively, Gail continued. “What do you think about gathering people together to pray together, and then break into groups of three or four to walk. And as we walk, we will pray out loud.” They loved the idea and made plans to meet together on Monday morning, June 12.
That morning, 14 people gathered (including two men). They met at the center circle of the subdivision and Gail shared about Stonecroft Ministries, our mission, and her role to implement the vision of the ministry. Then the group joined together to lift up the concerns of the neighborhood, with the main focus on the lost. After praying together, they divided into groups to cover every street in the neighborhood.
“Things really happened this morning,” Gail reported. “I saw women walking with their hands lifted, people crying, and people sharing. Those who were driving to work slowed down to look at us and were smiling. People saw God—the true and living God! It was powerful.”
A NIGHT AT THE BEACH
Colonial Beach, Virginia—Giant sunglasses, decorated flip flops, and plastic sand buckets adorned restaurant tables to create a beach-like atmosphere at a recent Stonecroft on the Road event.
“Colonial Beach is right by the water, so those in charge of decorations went all out,” said Stonecroft Regional Administrator Irene Hall. “The biggest problem we had was getting people to stop laughing. They were having such a good time. You felt like you were at a party.”
Planning for the event proved to be a challenge. Power outages in the area are common, the sound system was acting up, and the restaurant was not sure they could hold everyone who made reservations.
“But God worked out all the details,” said Irene. “Everything went beautifully.”
One hundred and seven women attended, and they had just enough seats. “We had been praying for 100 all along, so it was amazing to see so many women attend,” she said.
The most exciting part of the night occurred when a woman accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. After turning down many invitations to attend Stonecroft Bible Studies, the woman finally agreed to attend the Stonecroft on the Road event.
“Persistence paid off in this situation,” said Irene. “Don’t ever give up inviting people and praying!”
GOOD THINGS GROWING IN ONTARIO
Stouffville, Ontario—Located northeast of Toronto in prime farmland, the area around Stouffville is home to about 10,000 people. God is at work doing exciting things in this small town through the local Stonecroft Christian Women’s Club.
At the May meeting, Margo Greening shared her story, which she titles “A Broken Life Mended.” Four women prayed with her that day to invite Jesus Christ into their lives as their personal Savior. Two others asked to become part of a Stonecroft Bible study.
The Planning Team is also encouraged by increased interest in their group from women in the community. “Our attendance has really grown,” reports Chair Helen Ratcliff. “At our May meeting, we had 132 guests. We are expecting about 140 in June.”
FAITH IN ZIMBABWE
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe—In this country, where inflation surpasses 1,000 percent, where 80 percent of the population is unemployed, where health care is hard to come by and one never knows when the government will decide to destroy your home, Rawlins Mangai finds good.
“We are fortunate to have the situation we have here as everything fails you,” said this 24-year-old insurance worker. He explains that when the economy, the government, the culture fail people, they tend to turn to the one true God for answers.
Rawlins uses Stonecroft Bible Studies to lead the Sunday School youth classes in his church. He leads the 12- to 15-year-olds.
“There is such a need to teach these youth about the Word of God,” he said. “I started with What is God Like?, then did the Who is Jesus? study and now am doing the Where is the Holy Spirit? study.”
“We found that these kids aren’t afraid of the material and it helps them not be afraid of each other. We’ve encouraged a culture of asking questions. They enjoy it and really look forward to each lesson,” Rawlins said.
And it’s working. Rawlins reports that many times, when he asks a question, there are several volunteers to give an answer.
“At the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves, How am I looking to change things? This country is a challenge to my faith. I ask, What am I doing with my faith to make life better for the people around me?”
MONUMENTAL MOMENTUM
Monument, Colorado—With a population of slightly over 3,000, Monument is known for its breathtaking view of Mount Herman at the eastern edge of the Rockies. Last week in this quaint little town, Regional Representative Sandi King presented the idea of a Stonecroft on the Road event, where local Stonecroft leaders from the surrounding area plan a one-time outreach event in a town that currently has no outreach group.
Twenty-four women gathered together to discover how they can reach their communities for Christ. Most of the women had a heart for reaching their neighbors, but didn’t know how to go about it. One woman in attendance has previously heard of Stonecroft by attending an outreach group while living in France.
Right now, this group of women is praying about how God will lead them as they plan this outreach event. There are five Stonecroft Bible study Guides already in place in Monument and a neighboring town.
Pray for this group of women as they desire to make Jesus famous in their quiet little town.
A FAITHFUL HEART
Kansas City, Missouri—Prior to IMPACT ’06 (April 24-26), the Stonecroft Ministries board and staff asked volunteers to send in nominations for a “Stonecroft Heart Award” recipient—someone who exemplifies the heart of Stonecroft. Because so many good nominations were received, it was decided that in addition to the Heart Award recipient, there would be twelve other honorees. Every month, we will be featuring one of these honorees on Stonecroft Live.
To find faithfulness personified, you may have to travel to Barbados. That
is where an extremely loyal and faithful Stonecroft volunteer, Peggy
Tryhane, lives. Peggy is this month’s featured Stonecroft
Heart Award honoree.
Peggy has been involved in Stonecroft Ministries for the past 29 years. Her introduction to Stonecroft began with Stonecroft Bible Studies. After a few years, she became a Guide, then a Coordinator, and then a District Consulting Coordinator. In 1996, Peggy started the first Christian Women’s Club in Barbados. The club is still going and continues to grow, with over 200 women at every meeting. Peggy has also trained FBC Coordinators for the islands of Dominica and St. Lucia.
A nominee’s words about Peggy show just how faithful she has been to Stonecroft and to the Lord: “As we celebrate our Christian Women’s Club’s 10th anniversary, she has only missed one meeting in the ten years (and that was because she was at Stonecroft) and has only missed one Prayer Connection. Peggy’s dedication and loyalty to Stonecroft Ministries over the years has been outstanding. Her faith, her way of life, and her outreach have been exemplary. She has been a tremendous help to me personally, always very approachable and willing to help. These are the many reasons I have nominated Peggy—for her faithfulness to this kingdom-building organization.”
SIX NEW SISTERS IN CHRIST
Frisco, Colorado—Six women accepted Jesus as their personal Savior Saturday morning at a Stonecroft on the Road event. Among the 33 women who attended the brunch, two said they were interested in joining a Stonecroft Bible Study (Friendship Bible Coffee).
One woman saw a family member come to know Jesus after praying for her salvation for five years. “I personally am so thankful that the Stonecroft leader who put this on was obedient to the Lord,” she said. “A lot of work went into this. If she hadn’t gone ahead and obeyed Him, these six women might never have been saved.”
The event, held at a local community center, featured an author who is well-known in the area for her 20 years of experience with search and rescue dogs. Afterwards, a Stonecroft speaker gave her testimony and a memorable presentation of the Gospel.
Stonecroft on the Road events are similar to traditional outreach events; the difference is that these events are held in communities that do not have an ongoing Stonecroft group. Over 35 Stonecroft on the Roads have been held so far, allowing thousands of women to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.
Six permanent outreach groups have also begun as a result.
LITTLE BIT COUNTRY
Alturas, California—“A perfect evening” is how Dawn Greene, Chair of the Alturas Women’s Connection, described the Guest Night that took place recently.
With “Little Bit Country” as the theme, the room was decorated with hay bales and displays of branding irons and cowboy boots. The maker of the cowboy boots—one of only three women in the United States who make boots by hand—was the feature guest. A writer of cowboy poetry and a cowboy musician also added to the fun.
As happens at every Stonecroft outreach event, the speaker presented the Gospel and extended an invitation for guests to begin a new life with Jesus Christ. Of the 80 guests in attendance, 12 indicated that they had chosen to do so that night, including the caterer for the event. It was a great way to end a fun evening.
ONE MORE FOR CHRIST
Kansas City, MO—During the month of June, the Stonecroft Headquarters staff rejoices as we receive reports from the Prayer Coordinators of our outreach groups. Each has a story to tell of how God has been answering prayers in the past year.
The Planning Team of the Fosston, Minnesota Christian Women’s Club wrote, “Our prayer challenge for this year has been, ‘One more for Christ.’ Since we’ve been praying that prayer, the number of women coming to our Lord has greatly increased far above the average for previous years. We’ve also seen many answers to prayer for healing.”
The Norfolk, Virginia After 5 is also encouraged to see God at work. “Even though we have had lower attendance some months, God has brought at least four women to Himself every month. This is a direct result of prayer!”
We praise God for each life that has been transformed and for those who are faithfully praying for women in their communities who need Jesus.
CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST
Cape Town, South Africa—They couldn’t wait.
It was months until Christmas, but the women at the Christmas Gathering workshop were so fired up they decided to hold a Christmas in August outreach event.
Christmas Gatherings are parties where friends and neighbors meet in the host’s home to share Christmas traditions. An appointed speaker then shares the true meaning of Christmas. An opportunity to begin Stonecroft Bible Studies is offered.
In Cape Town, Joyce Huyser, a Stonecroft Bible Studies Guide and Coordinator, hosted the training event about ten months ago. She is part of a new, vibrant church, so she invited her fellow church-goers and Stonecroft Bible Studies groups to attend the Christmas in August event. Then she encouraged them to invite their friends and neighbors.
So many women accepted invitations that the group decided to hold two Christmas Gatherings—one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
From these gatherings, three new Stonecroft Bible Studies were started. Since then, nine new Guides have been trained. Those nine Guides, all new to Stonecroft, have started at least four new Stonecroft Bible Studies groups.
The leaders in Joyce’s church are involved also.
Because of the creativity of these women, who were willing to hold a Christmas event four months early, the lives of many have already been impacted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There’s no telling how many more will be transformed for eternity as Bible studies are held and people hear the Word of God.
BABIES AND BIBLES
Johannesburg, South Africa—The Northwest Johannesburg Young Moms, Babies, and Tots groups started because Frances Beyer felt lonely.
“I had stopped working because I wanted to have kids—but after two years, nothing,” Frances said. “I was asked to lead a Friendship Bible Coffee because I had no children yet. Five women attended the first study I had in my home.”
That was more than five years ago. Now there are four groups of women studying Stonecroft Bible Studies in the area. Two of those groups meet in Frances’ home on Saturdays. Another group is conducted in Afrikaans, the language of the Dutch settlers of South Africa.
“We’ve seen a lot of women make stronger commitments to Jesus through these studies,” she said.
Frances tells of one lonely woman who heard about the studies and began attending. Recently, when a stork party (baby shower) was held for her, nearly everyone in attendance was from the Bible study group.
The group has produced three Stonecroft speakers, including one woman who converted form the Muslim faith.
This Stonecroft Bible study group has also started a prayer meeting every Monday at a local nursery school, and a prayer group every Wednesday at Frances’ home.
As for Frances, she is now the mother of twins. When her son and daughter were born, she gave her daughter the middle name of Ruth, for that was the main character in the study she guided first.
This week’s reports include stories written about what God is doing through Stonecroft Ministries in South Africa.
DELORES AND ELIZABETH
Johannesburg, South Africa—Delores Egerton admits she was a church-goer when she was invited to the Mondeor Christian Women’s Club in Johannesburg, but only attended every Christmas and Easter. She later realized that attending church wasn’t enough and that she needed a personal relationship with Jesus.
Delores was invited to the Mondeor outreach group and thought it sounded like fun. She remembers listening closely to the speaker talk about her relationship with God. “I was very comfortable with that. I thought, ‘I know that.’ It wasn’t new to me.”
She continued to attend the monthly outreach meetings for several months, and then accepted an invitation to a Stonecroft Bible Study (Friendship Bible Coffee). “I volunteered my home to start one,” she said. “I invited 20 ladies. The Guide arrived the day before our first Bible study, and I was so excited to tell her about all the ladies who were planning to be there the next day. But only two made it.”
The two cracked open the Bible study Who Is Jesus? and forged ahead.
“As we were going through, I began to hear things that were new and it was attractive to me. As we got to the page about making a decision about who Jesus Christ would be in our lives, I realized that was what I was missing in my life. I prayed right then to accept Jesus as my personal Savior.”
“You see, God had arranged it for me. If all 20 of those ladies would have arrived, I don’t know if I would have done it.”
Delores went on seeking God and matured in her faith. She eventually became the Chair of the outreach group. “I cannot tell you how many people have come to know Jesus,” she said.
Delores recently attended the Capture the Moment event for the Johannesburg area outreach and Stonecroft Bible Studies leaders. A team of six staff members and volunteers from Stonecroft Ministries International Headquarters have been traveling through South Africa and Zimbabwe to encourage, train, and learn from the Stonecroft volunteers there.
Also in South Africa, Elizabeth Bergh was invited to a Stonecroft Bible Study as she was sitting in a bar. She laughes at the memory of it.
“The next day I went. I knew nothing about the Bible. I didn’t even have one,” she said. She continued attending the study for seven months. “It was a great group of women and the tea was very nice and they always served treats!”
“Slowly I realized that these women were different and I wanted what they had. Because of going to the Bible studies and the Gospel being presented there, I realized these women had a relationship with God that I didn’t have.”
She began that relationship with a prayer to accept Jesus Christ as her Savior and turned over her life’s agenda to Him.
Elizabeth eventually became Chair of the Summerset West Christian Women’s Club.
Praise the Lord for these two women!
This week’s reports include stories written about what God is doing through Stonecroft Ministries in South Africa.
