Highlights of 2006

							The Georgian Bay Association women made this quilt for a MacDiv grad

				HIGHLIGHTS OF 2006 By Brenda Mann, Executive Director BWOQ Let me share some of what I have gleaned, learned about, or shared during the past year, as we worked toward the five “ends” that provide structure and vision for Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec. Baptist women will grow spiritually We grew spiritually as we took in nourishment and shared from the growth God gave in our lives. Groups were fed by using our “Share the Wonder” Program Resource Packet. Our Annual Meeting in May in London was challenged by Buff Cox and other women in mission. Retreats and other gatherings in our 17 Associations were times of spiritual growth for those who attended and those, such as our staff and Board members, who spoke. In September busloads came to Toronto for Just Give Me Jesus and were challenged by Anne Graham Lotz to make Christ Lord of their lives. Over lunch, 275 Baptist women heard our newly-appointed missionary, Erika Abele, describe the spiritual growth she and her mother, Phyllis Ortiz, have seen among immigrant women at the Oasis Dufferin Community Centre. Groups reported “women being more willing to take part in prayer chains” (Elgin); growth “when Bible studies are involved” (Northern); “a greater willingness to share in devotions” (Toronto); “a Bible study on discipleship and growth with 50 attending” (Western). The first annual Great Canadian Bible Study in January 2006 was well received. It raised over $10,000 for Guardians of Hope, Canadian Baptist Ministries’ HIV/AIDS program. In a Trent Valley church, the men provided dinner and child care so that 40 women could attend. A Western group reports that a first-time leader did an excellent job leading 49 women in the study of the Samaritan woman. In May and October, the first events sponsored by Emerge, our new initiative for younger women, featured Bible-based teaching, probing conversation, and realistic challenges to be God’s women in today’s world. One Oxford-Brant group paid the way for eight young women. Women will live The Great Commission We shared the love of Jesus by going around the world and across the street, by making comfort dolls and milk bag mats, by giving and praying, often in response to mission speakers. Northwestern, Toronto, and Canada Central women reached out to new immigrants and/or Native Canadians through coffee and conversation and ESL classes. One Trent Valley group invited the community to a free roast beef supper with gospel music: 91 came. Our BWOQ summer mission team worked with and learned from Joyce Hancock and her Voo Livre (Free Flight) community in Brazil. The 11 of us (representing Elgin, Canada Central, Georgian Bay, Niagara-Hamilton, Trent Valley, Toronto, and Western Associations and Winnipeg) shared in women’s and children’s ministries in Aguas Lindas and Rio de Janerio. Leaders will be developed Many of us are aware that “women are involved in many areas of church life” (Ottawa), but we do not always think of this as “Baptist Women”. Actually, BWOQ encompasses all women in BCOQ churches. We long to see all women serving their churches and making connections to Baptist Women. I’m excited to see annual reports more fully indicating all women’s ministry groups in the church. We value our traditional “Circles”, but also recognize the need to multiply groups and outreaches in response to specific concerns. Leadership training happens at the local level. An Oxford-Brant group asks each woman to bring a news item from The Link & Visitor and pray for it. A Northern church partners each woman with a youth for prayer and personal support. We also provided leadership training at the central level. It has been a component of every Board meeting. In November we invited each Women’s Ministry Link to bring a woman from her Association to join our Board and other women at a Renada seminar on building a healthy women’s ministry. That same weekend Sharon Dymond guided us in developing our devotional times. We offer grants to help women with leadership potential attend courses such as NextLevel Leadership. Our Convention Bursary enables younger women and women whose first language is not English to attend our Convention/Women’s Weekend Away. We also lend seed money for Association events and provide grants for new initiatives (such as a children’s and family outreach worker at Wentworth in Hamilton). We facilitate applications for Day of Prayer grants for projects that help women and children. Application forms and information for all these funds are available from our office. Women will be informed The Link & Visitor is our most widely-distributed and effective means of informing women, including those in churches without an active women’s group. We applaud all who are introducing the Link to new subscribers—but with only 3,171 paid subscribers in Canada, we need many more new subscribers in order to maintain the quality of the magazine. Our Director of Communications, Esther Barnes, is an incredible “package deal” as she writes and edits, designs and produces the magazine, and handles all of our other written and electronic communications. As she retires in 2007 after nearly 23 years of dedicated and often inspired service, she will be greatly missed. More and more women are keeping informed via our free monthly E-LINK e-newsletter (ordered by e-mailing our office). Women inform each other by sharing their lives in friendship at events such as the Georgian Bay Association cruise, and by making good use of tools such as their church’s mission bulletin board (Toronto). Women will practise stewardship The selfless giving of Baptist women enables us to adhere to a balanced budget that supports ministry and mission in Canada and around the world. However, our total 2006 income of $663,842 did fall short of our expenditures ($677, 708). We see shining examples of faithful generosity: a Toronto group of nine who sent $4,471 to BWOQ last year, and a Guelph Association group who gave $5,500 to BWOQ and supported 10 local and global agencies as well. Some groups support CBM missionaries directly. Others donate money and labour to a wide variety of projects: knitting comfort dolls (Canada Central, Toronto, Georgian Bay, Northwestern); preparing food for food banks and warming rooms; and making baby quilts for new moms at a women’s shelter (Quebec). Many women influence the stewardship of their church building. For example, an Ottawa Association church offers their building free to health groups such as Healthy Babies, which brings together women from the church and community. The “Remembrances” in The Link & Visitor represented $9,015 given “In Honour” and “In Memory”. Circle and Dominion Life memberships honour women while augmenting our financial resources. I want to thank : • Our president, Marg Derrah, and all Board members for their deep commitment of time and energy and wisdom • Our treasurer, Marion Waldron, for her accuracy, diligence, and grace in administering our funds • Our administrative assistants, Maryska Taylor Dymond and her successor Christina Obacz, who shares her love of the Saviour along with her organizational skills and friendly telephone manner. Thank you for the opportunities you have given me to grow, develop, and lead during this past year. I am very excited about the future as we move from “Sharing the Wonder” to seeing how we fit into God’s design for our lives. I look forward to our Women’s Weekend Away (Convention), May 4-6, 2007. Comments or questions? Contact webweaver@baptistwomen.com. Copyright 2007, Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec.