1. Women go to retreats be fed and nourished spiritually, as well as for the fellowship. Women love to be in the Bible, so enlist a speaker who is willing to help you lead your group into Scripture. (Can’t find a speaker like that? Then consider using one of CTA’s new free women’s retreat planning guides: Recipe for Life or Woman of God. Scroll down to find the retreat planners.) 







Women of God - Moments of Grace Devotion Book

2. Find a way to include a “Personal Retreat” time for the women towards the end of the retreat. This is an hour or more when they go off by themselves to have quiet time with God. They are in the Word and prayer and they can reflect on what they have heard at the retreat. Many women never have a whole hour of quiet for devotions and they relish this time without the normal distractions or busyness of life. (Both of CTA’s free retreat planners have built-in activities just like this!) 




3. Try to book a site where women can enjoy God’s creation—walking, sitting outdoors, or singing around a campfire. But be aware of costs. You don’t want to exclude anyone because the retreat is too expensive. Might you scholarship some women who might not otherwise get to attend? 




4. Include time for discussion! This could be during the presentations with pauses to talk with a partner or small group—discussion questions are included in both Recipe for Life and Woman of God.




5. Music! Food! Candles or decorations on tables! Mixers! Crafts! Chocolate!  




6. Prayer partners: If possible, have women who aren’t attending the retreat pray for specific participants ahead of time and during the retreat. They could also write personal prayer letters ahead of time which can be given to the attendees as they arrive. Participants will love knowing that someone is praying specifically for them and took the time to write them a personal note. 




7. Allow time for sharing at the end of the retreat—either with a partner, in small groups, or in the large group. Sharing helps everyone think about ways God touched them through His Word. Women love to hear how God is at work in their sisters’ lives. 




8. Keep registration forms simple and easy to use. Think it through! The part registrants send in should clearly include contact information so you can reach them before the retreat if you have questions. Pre-address it if you can so there’s no question about how to return it! The part the registrants keep should clearly list retreat dates, times, the retreat location/address, contact information in case they have questions ahead of time, and a list of what to bring.




9. Door prizes are always fun. No need to spend a lot of time gathering them if you use one of CTA’s retreat themes. Inexpensive, fun items are available for both Woman of God  and Recipe for Life. 




10. Bathe the retreat in prayer: for the speaker, that God would bring women, for the committee, all the details, the weather and especially that Christ would be glorified and everyone who attends would be encouraged.

Many thanks to Renee Gibbs and Amelia Fortmeyer for the valuable ideas and advice they contributed to this article!

This year, I find my thoughts focused on what I do and do not have. Most people at some time or another feel a bit deprived. We all know people who just seem to have more than we do. They live in bigger homes, wear better quality clothes, drive newer cars, and take longer vacations to more inviting places. Meanwhile, we sacrifice, pray, and volunteer all kinds of time at church and perhaps community organizations, too, but seem to go without the things we want—sometimes without things we feel we really, really need.

These thoughts bring Jonah to mind. God gave him three days of time-out, so to speak, in the whale. There, during the quiet minutes and hours, he could meditate on what God wanted for him and from him. Or consider that Jesus himself spent 40 days in the desert, praying and reflecting and sacrificing even while Satan worked to dissuade him from God’s eternal plan that Jesus suffer and die to win our salvation.

As I reflect during Lent this year, my goal is to focus more on what God in his perfect love wants for me, letting that inform what I might think I need or want for myself.

God forced Jonah to contemplate. Jesus did it willingly. How about you? What might your Savior want to tell you? How might he want to change you? The weeks ahead are a perfect time to open your heart to his Word and find out.

Editor’s note: CTA’s new devotion book, “Power of the Cross,” would make the perfect guide and companion as you and others in your church meditate on the meaning of Jesus’ death during Lent this year. It’s not too late to order copies for your group or your whole congregation!

Actually, the “shadows” are not shadows. Nor are they reflections. Instead, they are projections. Stained glass does not reflect light. Rather, it permits light to pass through it.

As I sit in the worship area early in the morning, the image projected on the wall is far from clear. As the sun comes up and moves across the sky, the image formed by the light coming through the stained glass also moves. It slowly makes its way to the front of the church where, at one point, it frames a large cross. The closer the image gets to the window, the clearer the projection becomes.

This reminds me of how clear my own life becomes when I stay close to Christ and the forgiveness he freely gives through his cross. As I invest time in prayer and Bible study, a quiet peace settles in my heart, despite the changes and disturbing events swirling around me. As I take time to give of myself, I find clarity about life’s real priorities. But when I let life grow too busy, the peace and clarity fade. And I project a more distorted image of God’s glory. How thankful I am that he forgives our failures—every one of them!

And how exciting it is to think about what could happen if all of God’s people were growing daily in the kind of Son-shining-through lives he wants for us.

How will you stay close to him this week?

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV

 Now he’s arrived on the doorstep of your church. You are strangers to him, and he’s a stranger to you, too. But after a few months of intentional friendship building, you start to see leadership potential in Sam. Might you consider inviting him to step forward as a lay leader?

 He may be hesitant. He may have questions:

• Do I have enough Bible knowledge?
• What if compassion isn’t my strong suit right now?
• Could this be a nudge from God to test the waters? Can I trust him?
• Is this a safe enough place to plunge in?
• How will my wife feel about it?
• Will my mentors throw me in to sink or swim alone?

If you befriend a young adult, especially one new to your church, think about opening doors for service. But think, too, about the questions and concerns that might arise. Promise to be there—and then keep your promise. Help your “Sam” to see that he can lean on Jesus, he can trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5).

 If you’re not sure how to say that or if you’d like to reinforce that message, consider giving “Sam” a copy of Shaped to Serve: Celebrating Your Gift of Service.

 Will you leave a legacy at your church by encouraging the next generation to step forward to serve–and then helping to equip them to do it? Their gifts are a blessing to others; help them explore the possibilities.

Here in Minnesota, it can be hard to think of January as a time of new beginnings. We are in the heart of winter; everything is covered with snow and ice, and we are happy if the temperatures reach into the double digits.

Still, while I was driving to school after Mass this morning, I saw God’s glory reflected everywhere. The sky was a pristine blue, and the sun was shining. The overnight fog had crystallized on the trees, and snow blankets everything in sparkling white.

It reminded me that every day is new in Christ. Why? Because our sins and wrongdoings are things of yesterday. God is full of grace and healing, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion. Every day when I arise, He gives me the opportunity to start anew, to consecrate the day to Jesus, and to remember that He lives in me.

May He bless your new day today in that hope!

Introduction

In just a few days we will celebrate Christmas. For most of us, Christmas is more than just one day; it is an entire season filled with so many different sights and sounds and memories. Just about everyone seems to have favorite foods, activities, and family traditions. For most of us, Christmas is a time of joy, excitement, and anticipation. Take a moment and think about some of the things that make Christmas special for you.

 (Pause—if time allows you might invite a few people to share with the group.)

One of the many traditions Christians have is gift giving. Many of us spend hours planning what we will give and anticipating what we will receive. Giving and receiving gifts is one way we show our love for one another. And yet, if I were to ask you to tell me one gift you received or even gave last Christmas, could you do it? Perhaps a few of you could, but by now most of those gifts have been forgotten, used up, or broken.

Getting to the Heart

Remembering what we received last year can be a challenge, but there is one gift that we cannot forget; indeed, it is the very reason we celebrate!

The whole idea of gift-giving began in the heart of the One who made us. In the beginning God created the world and everything in it out of pure love for us. He created Adam and Eve and all living things. When he was finished, “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

But as we know, it didn’t stay good. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and since then, each one of us has done the same. Our sin separates us from God. The sin in our hearts leads us to commit all kinds of sins that hurt us and those around us. Our sin breaks God’s heart. Yet, because of his great love for us, God devised a plan to save us from the punishment we deserved, a plan to bring us back to himself.

Isn’t it interesting to know God created us with the full knowledge that our sin would mean the death of his Son? Right from the start God knew the sacrifice he would have to make, and yet he did it anyway. Why? Because “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and from all eternity, he intended to share his love with us. God’s great love came to us as a Gift, the Gift of a tiny Baby born more than 2,000 years ago!

That first Christmas was so unlike the holiday we celebrate today. There were no sparkly lights, no warm food, no parties, and no tinsel or glitter. Instead, a man and woman, a group of shepherds, some barn animals, and one carol—the praise chorus offered by the angels—heralded the Gift, the baby Jesus. It is amazing to think that God would be so quiet about the event he had been planning since before the creation!

It is difficult to understand why God chose to send Jesus the way he did, but maybe the answer can come from what the angels said. As the shepherds watched their flocks out in the dark field that night, suddenly the sky lit up, and “the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11).

The message was for “all people,” but it was also a very personal, individual Gift. God could have shared the news with the whole world at once. Instead, he sent his messengers to a lonely field outside of Bethlehem, to a group of lowly shepherds. Those shepherds believed the message and went to see the baby. There, beside the tiny manger, they received the Gift of Jesus! Afterward, they went on to share the Gift with all the people they met, one by one.

Taking It Home

The Gift of Jesus is for you! Jesus came as a baby for you with the expressed purpose to save you from your sin. Perhaps the best known verse in the Bible is John 3:16:

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

You may know that verse from memory, but today, right now, I want you make sure you know it not only in your head, but also in your heart. I want you to know that it is for you! If you were the only person on earth, the only person in need of God’s forgiveness and salvation, he still would have made the sacrifice. He would have sent his Son for just one, for just you. Jesus would have gone through all of that pain and suffering just for you and only for you.

In fact, while he was on the cross, bearing your sin, he thought of you! He stayed on the cross out of love for you! He died for you, and he rose again to give life to you! Now that is a gift worth remembering!

This devotion is adapted from This Gift Is for You © 2005 CTA, Inc. You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include this copyright line and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Used with permission grant #122209. © 2009 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026-1205. www.CTAinc.com.

Scripture quotations are from the King James or Authorized Version of the Bible.

Joy should be everywhere, shouldn’t it? Digging out from all the December craziness, we realize Christmas isn’t just a special day on the calendar. We’re journeying to Bethlehem in faith to kneel in awe and adoration at the little baby feet of the world’s Savior, Jesus Christ. We celebrate God’s gift of love, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, his gift that brings joy from heaven to earth. Jesus brings joy for the world—for everyone, everywhere. 

Jesus brings joy and blessings abound—enough for everyone! Maybe joy comes to you in new memories you create with relatives from out of town, in an unexpected bonus you receive at work, or in an extra measure of the Christmas spirit you feel in your heart.

Still, even with joy surrounding us, some of us  experience the “merry side of Christmas,” only to slide quickly into despair. Our fa’s are strong early in the season, but before long, our la’s fall flat. Some of us find our joy crumpled up like a pile of discarded post-Christmas wrapping paper.

Are you lip-syncing both the fa’s and the la’s, hoping others don’t notice your struggle to smile? Certainly, not everyone agrees that it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Christmastime can be a highly charged, emotional time. So many variables toy with our level of joy. Think about it . . .

• Some dread their first Christmas without someone they loved, while others anticipate their first Christmas with someone they love.
• Some receive a helpful end-of-the-year financial windfall, while others find themselves falling more and more into debt with no help in sight.
• Some find the season invigorating, while others find it nerve-racking.
• Some couples celebrate their first Christmas as husband and wife, while others experience their first as ex-husband and ex-wife.
• Some come to life, surrounded with people, while others come to deal with loneliness, even when surrounded by people.
• Some feel overly blessed, while others feel overly stressed.

As we come to adore our Savior, each of us brings blessings as well as burdens to the manger. So let’s pause in our journey to the manger to notice the people around us. We’re traveling together, and it’s important to realize we all travel by faith. We come, only because the divine Child first journeyed from heaven to earth. His birth, death, and resurrection conquers loneliness, anxiety, stress, and all our other burdens.

 Jesus’ gift isn’t necessarily a jump-up-and-down joy, although it certainly can be that. It’s primarily a joy that settles deep in our hearts. It’s a joyful, contented peace. This divine present comes with Jesus’ presence.

Jesus brings joy to the world. He also brings joy for the world. He knows our world is filled with sin and its accompanying heartache, pain, and grief. But let there be no doubt that he’s also intimately aware of every breath you take, every word you speak, and every situation you face. And he’s aware of your need for joy. So he wraps his miraculous joy within his gifts of forgiveness, help, and hope. It’s true! Jesus brings joy for the world—for everyone, everywhere.

Come and receive. Come and worship.

Come and go . . . sharing his gifts.

Editor’s note: Several Joy for the World gifts are available from CTA this Christmas. Get yours before they’re gone!

© 2007 CTA, Inc. Permission to make photocopies or reproduce by any other mechanical or electronic means is granted only to the original purchaser and is intended for ruse within a church or other Christian organization.

 The Scripture quotation is from the King James or Authorized Version.

While we do these things, though, we can also prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. What a precious gift God sent to us! As I reflect on this, I wonder how one does best prepare for our Savior? How do we get ready to celebrate his coming to live among us to save us for all eternity? The gift is so big!

Considering that gift and Christ’s holy life, I think about being holy—like Jesus—in my day to day life. I ask that he keep my heart open to him and that he show me how to be his hands and feet for all those whose lives my life touches. This is my way of keeping my life simple and keeping Jesus as the center. Jesus is the one thing that really matters.

 One of my kindergarten students recently visited Disney World. She returned with a gift for me. Her mother told me, “She searched for days looking for the perfect gift for you. You have really touched her heart.” It was so humbling to realize that Jesus really is working through me, despite the commotion and busyness of life!

 Jesus is working through you, too! May he touch many hearts through each of our lives this Christmas season!

Strength for the Journey Pocket Tool, great as a Father's Day or Men's Ministry Gift

But before summer is truly gone, take some time to yourself to reflect and recharge for another busy school year.  My husband and I always like to go on a retreat in August.

Retreats offer an excellent opportunity to spend some quiet time with God.  Free from the distractions of everyday life, reading the Bible and engaging in prayer, blessed with serenity, retreats can provide you with the peace you may be looking for. 

When my husband goes on retreat, I like to send an expression of love along with him. There are several items available at CTA that I have enjoyed purchasing in the past. Just click here and you will see what I mean!  (There are some for us ladies, too!)

Whether taking advantage of a retreat or just carving out some special time at home, these products will help you revitalize your prayer life!

Most of them would do what they do, even if no one ever stopped to thank them. Still, when we recognize that each of our volunteers comes to us as a gift from God, when we see that our Lord chooses to work through people and to answer our prayers through people, how can we not want to honor him by honoring them?

CTA’s new appreciation theme, Serving in His Steps,  includes a variety of products you can afford to give those who serve–even in your organization’s largest programs! There’s something for everyone here from daily devotions to pocket planners/calendars to a pedometer! And all at affordable price points.

Besides all that, you can download a whole set of free materials and use them to create a unified theme on that day you set aside for recognition and thanksgiving. You’ll find a Ministry Message that can be used as a sermon or devotion, bulletin cover art, newsletter copy you can adapt to advertise your event, an invitation postcard, and a poster that could double as a placemat if you decide to offer snacks or even a brunch!

Christ-centered. Firmly rooted in Scripture. Beautiful art. Thoughtful helps for busy leaders. CTA has done much of the planning for you. All you need do is take the last few steps to create an event that will energize your volunteers for months to come!

Go to www.ctainc.com and type “Serving in His Steps” into the search engine to find everything you need to get started!