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I am a Minimalist

Do you hesitate in doing a skit because you don’t have a budget for a “quality” production? Maybe you are lucky just to find women willing to take a role in the skit.  Or maybe you simply don’t have anyone with the gifts necessary to create the scenery, props and costumes.  No problem.  The show must go on–and you can go ahead with your skit without the scenery and elaborate props and costumes.

When it comes to scenery, props and costuming for skits, I am a minimalist.  I admit, my gifts lie in the writing and editing of the skit rather than the actual production.  But I have confidence that the script can carry the skit, with or without the extras.  God gave women wonderful imaginations that, with the help of a little narration and minimal additional visuals, enable ladies to “see” the setting, the props and the characters in their minds.

Or… maybe I’m just cheap and lazy.  For one thing, transporting elaborate sets, setting them up and then breaking them down can be a major headache, not to mention the difficulties involved in finding the materials and props if you are on a budget.  If I had my way, as director/writer, I would use signs in place of scenery (i.e. “Train Station”), hats in place of elaborate costumes, and allow the descriptive narration and the audience’s imagination do the rest.

That’s my side of the story…and I’m sticking to it!  But that’s not the end of the story.  Tune in next week to hear that while I am a minimalist in this area, others are not!

 

Posted in: News & Information, Skits

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Apology

Dear Readers,

I took a trip out of the country in February, and in the last week I realized that my weekly posts haven’t been sent every Wednesday as they are set up to do.  There was a disconnect between my website and “Mail Chimp” which sends out those posts.  My local “expert” (my son) was able to take care of the problem (Thanks, Josh!), so hopefully we’ll be back on schedule on Wednesday this week.

It would be worth your time to check back to the website this week and next week.  We have added links, skits and graphics in the past two weeks, and by April 1, we should have at least three more skits, and several more graphics on the website for free download.  Our vision for this website was that it would be a helpful resource for women’s ministries, so we are excited to see a significant number of resources being added!  Take a minute to look!  If something doesn’t work, let us know, or if you have ideas to contribute, of course we would love to hear them!  We are on Facebook, so take a moment to “like” us there.

Blessings,

Debby

Posted in: Retreat and Event Planning

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Easy Remembrance

2186c359f5d0b75f885256b205bb6cd1This is an easy remembrance, made with jelly beans, a small ziploc bag, and printed cardstock.  Print your theme/theme verse on the cardstock, then fold and attach to the ziploc.  The ziploc could be filled with M&Ms or any small treat.  Of course, these could be fancied up with ribbons, lace, raffia or any number of things that your crafty ladies could come up with that would complement your theme.

Posted in: Retreat Remembrances

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Hearts to Serve, Part II

As explained in an earlier post, the women who are a part of the  “Hearts to Serve” team are called upon at retreats, conferences or special events to serve as the hands and feet of the women’s ministry.  They support the women’s ministry leaders by freeing them up to teach and minister, much like the deacons did for the apostles in Acts.

As we create this team within our women’s ministry, we are requiring a short commitment of 1 hour per month for 6 months to be dedicated to discipleship for leadership.  The group will read and discuss a leadership book (see the “Ministry” section of our recommended reading page), preparing the women for the challenges of leadership.  As they are called upon to serve, they can be observed, to see if they are “faithful in the little things” and willing to humble themselves to serve in less recognized capacities.  Those who are faithful in these ways can then be trusted with bigger things.

 

Posted in: Developing Leadership, Ministry at the Retreat

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We Need Your Help!

We need your HELP to provide the valuable resources and links available at www.retreatinabag.net to women’s ministries across the country!  There are truly very few websites devoted to women’s ministry ideas and resources.  In fact, I have only found a handful of truly helpful links.

Retreat-in-a-Bag now has a Facebook page.   Check us out if you are a Facebook user.  Please “like” us on Facebook, and then as we publish something that would be of interest to your friends, “share” it.  As we run across ideas on the web that could be effectively used in women’s ministry, we are posting them.

Then there’s Pinterest–there are so many clever ideas are out there that could easily be adapted for women’s ministry.  You can follow my “Women’s Ministry” board here.

Use the contact form at the Retreat-in-a-Bag website to submit any links or ideas that we can pass on through Facebook or Pinterest.  Social media has provided us with ways to expand the network of people that we serve, but we need to work together.

Finally, if you know women involved in women’s ministries, particularly in smaller churches, please share the RetreatinaBag.net website with them.  Word of mouth may be the best way that we share helpful resources with one another.

 

Posted in: Website News

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