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Carolina Women challenged to make God’s Word a priority
Dianna L. Cagle, BR Assistant Editor
October 15, 2019
4 MIN READ TIME

Carolina Women challenged to make God’s Word a priority

Carolina Women challenged to make God’s Word a priority
Dianna L. Cagle, BR Assistant Editor
October 15, 2019

Nearly 300 women gathered at North Carolina’s Baptist Assembly at Fort Caswell on Oak Island Oct. 4-5.

BR photo by Dianna L. Cagle

Phyllis Elvington models reading a hymn to offer praise to God.

They collected $4,045.50 as an offering to Woman’s Missionary Union of North Carolina (WMU-NC) for hosting Carolina Women, a two-day event with the theme “Celebrate Missions.”

“Sleep is essential for you to do your best,” said Phyllis Elvington, the speaker for all three main sessions.

Elvington focused on asking the women to evaluate how they were doing mentally, physically, spiritually and missionally.

She asked the women of the five things – exercise, meals, beverages, sleep, checkups – which one was the most needed area of work.

“We have to do our part,” she stressed. “God’s going to do His part.”

She asked if their priorities are in the right order and how much stress they are under. She encouraged them to drink more water and less sweet tea and diet sodas and asked them to consider exercising more.

Elvington jokingly told the ladies that she would rather wear out than rust out, but she paired it with Paul, who was set apart and different, and Isaiah, who she said she tries to imitate by offering herself: “Here am I.”

She also challenged the women to spend five minutes praising God each day by reading a song and praying to/praising God.

BR photo by Dianna L. Cagle

Women cut T-shirts into strips to form jump rope during a Carolina Women breakout session Oct. 5.

She laid out three Bible reading plans through the end of the year for the women to choose: Paul’s epistles (Romans to Philemon); the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and Psalm 63-150.

“If you’re not in love with Jesus, if you’re not abiding in the vine, you’re not going to be on mission for Jesus,” Elvington said. “We want to be on mission for Christ, but we have to be in a place where Jesus is our top priority in order to do that.”

She modeled two five-minute prayers for the women. The first was based on the prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10), and the second on Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 8.

In her breakout session, Elvington taught women to “Celebrate the Word.”

She inquired about their Bible knowledge by asking them to list the 10 commandments, then added the order of the commandments to the exercise.

“We’ve got to love the Word,” she said. “James says to be doers of the word and not hearers only. We do not obey what we do not know.”

She went over several key scripture passages: love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13; shepherd’s psalm, Psalm 23; Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7; resurrection chapter, 1 Corinthians 15; faith chapter, Hebrews 11; suffering servant, Isaiah 53; birth of Jesus, Luke 2; and the comfort chapter, John 14.

She asked the women to familiarize themselves with these special chapters to share with others, as well as the simplified Romans road verses: 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-10; and 10:13.

“We have got to teach children the word of God. It will never leave them,” she said. “The reward for obedience is more work to do for the King.”

Music was provided by Cindy and Steve Johnson. Cindy serves Old Town Baptist Church in Winston-Salem as contemporary worship leader and women’s ministries director.

CrossWalk, a two-woman drama team, offered selections to challenge the women as well as make them laugh. Renee Henderson as Bertie the Bag Lady performed during a Friday evening after hours session.

Three missionaries shared throughout the three main sessions: Bert Yates, Phyllis Foy and Deen Sweatman.

The Carolina Women were offered 16 different breakout sessions across three time periods. Carolina Women is offered every other year through WMU-NC. Carolina Girls is offered on the alternating year.