I have been thinking about how this ministry began and all the marvelous ways God has worked in these 37 years. Here in a nutshell is the story! During our Christmas trip to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in 1976, we six Rice sisters began to talk to Daddy and Mother, Dr. and Mrs. John R Rice, about our burden for teaching women how to apply the Word of God to their everyday lives. We had observed that women were hungry to learn how to have joy in their Christian lives. Daddy, we urged, we need to have a special conference just for women. Will you work with us and help sponsor it? Do you think we could get as many as 400 women to come to Murfreesboro for such a meeting? he asked. We sisters gave a resounding yes, and dear Mother gave us her vote! So our first womens conference was held in March of 1977. To the surprise of all of us, 1600 women showed up! We had to hustle to arrange more food and an additional facility. Every session had to be given twice, once in Franklin Road Church and another one at the Sword of the Lord building. Daddy was thrilled, and when several years later we started a magazine, Daddy agreed that it must be called The Joyful Woman. Then more opportunities and challenges followed. There in a few words I have described our early days. We gradually expanded to sell tapes (now CDs) and books and other resources, and held womens meetings all over the US and in some foreign countries. The magazine was published for over 30 years, by Gods grace, and now new technology enables us to continue offering our newsletter, resources, and promotion for our special Joyful Woman conferences and meetings. After 37 years, how does the ministry continue? Originally it was subsidized, often with the gifts of our parents and our own families and board members. After we received official non-profit status, then we were able to invite others to help by joining our Circle of Friends, pledging their prayers and regular gifts as God provided. Were excited about our November 15 one-day womens conference right here in Chattanooga! Our theme is: Legacy...Passing Your Faith Forward --Teaching the Word, Telling Your Stories and Living Out the Truth! We Rice sisters will share some stories about our mother and dad never told before, stories that reflect their love for the Lord and His Word, funny stories about the early days of their marriage, stories that taught us how to trust God in hard times. Our daughters and granddaughters will tell some stories (unedited, of course!) about their own experiences of how their faith has been impacted by their heritage. Finally, we will be up close and personal as we tell the new things God is teaching us now in these latter years of our lives! Then every woman will be challenged about ways to pass your faith forward and make a difference! So each generation can set its hope anew on God. --Psalm 78:7. God willing, Libby Handford, Jessie Sandberg, Joanna Rice, and I will share our hearts, along with some of children and grandchildren. Somehow I think perhaps Mother and Daddy will lean over the balcony of Heaven and smile! I hope to see you there!
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 17:48:14 +0000
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