On December 6, we held our final city-wide gathering of 2016. We spent the night closing out our Trinity series by focusing on God the Son: Jesus. It was an evening set aside to celebrate and glorify our Savior; perfectly timed at the beginning of the Christmas season.

“Noel, Noel!
Come and see what God has done!
Noel, Noel!
The light of the world, given for us.
Noel!”

— Noel, Chris Tomlin ft Lauren Daigle

We also had the chance to collect donations for Oasis House, give away some Advent resources, share our 2016 Year End Survey (fill out before Dec. 20!) and announce our upcoming conference (more details to come). Another beautiful evening of connection between God and his daughters in Dayton!

We were graciously hosted by FCF Dayton and led into a time of singing by their worship team. The carefully chosen songs were full of rich truth about Christ's life, death and resurrection. To enjoy the songs at home, visit our Winter Gathering Playlist on YouTube.

Our dear friend, Carol Benoy, opened up the Scriptures before us and reminded us of the vast, eternal nature of Christ. She expanded our view far beyond the Christmas story; taking us back before there was time and fast-forwarding us through to Jesus' promised return and coming kingdom. 

Consider these questions that Carol left us to ponder with:

• Have I been treating God with the awe and reverence He deserves?
• Do I have any attitudes about God that need to change?
• Am I growing in the life Jesus bought for me?
• Does my love go outward toward others or does it turn in on myself?
• Is my life as a Christ-follower costing me anything?

“The names of Jesus help us know him more fully and accurately. The more we know him, the more we love him.”

— Carol Benoy

We closed out the evening praising our Emmanuel once more. Our prayer is that through worship and teaching, the women who attended (and those who are simply catching up by reading this!) will know Jesus more fully and accurately, and are led to greater love and obedience. We leave you with this passage that wholly displays the sovereignty of Jesus. We pray that he is immensely glorified in your homes and hearts this holiday season! 

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

— 1 Cor 1:15-20

She built up the campfire, while the others set out some blankets and strung lights. We set a table of marshmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey bars, alongside mason jars of flowers. We prayed over the details and the benches, inviting the Holy Spirit to come: come fill the women who would enter, sit, sing, eat, and pray. We, as sisters, set up our temple for Him that evening, knowing that God had long before set up his temple within us. 

Temples for the Holy Spirit.

At our Fall Gathering, our DWITW women met in the great outdoors around an intimate fire at beautiful Camp Chautauqua .

Daisy prayed over us, welcoming our triune God and asking Him to come near.

We worshipped God the Holy Spirit, led by our sister, Kelly Gwin.

Natalie reminded us what and who the Holy Spirit is: a equal and important member of the Trinity; a real living person, not just a power; one who serves many vital roles in our lives. He's a witness, life giver, teacher, encourager, sanctifier, intercessor, protector, gift giver. And we can know He's with us because the Bible assures us it is so.* Hallelujah!

Jillian led us in a time of prayer, challenging us to pray directly to the Spirit. Then she announced the launch of the DWITW podcast!

We enjoyed the fire, enjoyed each other, and enjoyed some s'mores. 

It was a beautiful, sacred night.

Didn't make it to this gathering? Never fear! We'd love to have you join us at these upcoming DWITW events:

• Workshop: So you want to start a Bible Study... Have you ever felt the nudge from God to lead others through His Word, but ignored it because it felt overwhelming? Our fellow DWITW sister, Jen Ward, will be offering insight and practical tips on how to successfully lead a group of ladies into studying the Word of God. The details: October 19th, 7-9PM, at Apex Community Church.
• Winter Gathering: Join us Tuesday, December 6th, at 7PM to celebrate God, The Son! We will be meeting at Faith Christian Fellowship, 1178 Grange Hall Road, Beavercreek, OH 45432. 

*For further reading on the topic of the Holy Spirit, check out these titles:

• The Holy Spirit by Christopher RJ Holmes
• The Holy Spirit: Contours of Christian Theology by Sinclair Ferguson
• The Holy Spirit by John Owen
• The Holy Spirit by Kevin DeYoung
• Knowing God by JI Packer
• The Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer