INTRODUCTION
Are you ready to re-connect or connect for the first time with a wonderful group of women? Our September REAL Connection newsletter will focus on RE-CONNECTING, as we also gather for REAL Women beginning Wed, September 18 at 9:30 am and 6:30 pm in the Main room at Trinity Church! For some, this can be anxious if they don’t know anyone or have had negative experiences with women. For others, this is an exciting time to see friends and make new friendships as we worship, study the Bible, and discuss what next steps God has for us this semester!
I’ve actually had to heal up from a lot of betrayal of women in my life (as I’m guessing many of you can relate to), and now I truly enjoy being a part of REAL Women. You might not see it, but I can get nervous too, though, once I see all the smiles and warm welcomes (thank you, Greeting Team!) I remember the joy bonds from the previous semesters. I’m excited to study “Armor Up” with you, which is key to our identity in Christ and impacts how we connect with others. When we are secure about who God says we are and able to fight the Enemy's lies, we are free to connect with others in an honest way. We get to be ourselves and not pretend!
ABOUTUS
Real Women is a ministry of Trinity Church that seeks to encourage women in their pursuit of healthy relationships with Jesus first, then others. If you don’t know Jesus, we’d love to tell you about Him (see Gospel section; pg. 11)! The Bible tells us in John 15:4 that when we abide or remain IN Him, we will produce fruit in our lives, but if we don’t stay connected to Him we won’t be fruitful. He will guide us, comfort us, and protect us! This is encouraging because it gives us a foundation and direction for all of our other relationships.
As we all pursue Jesus, we come to Him as we are (REAL women) and leave changed by Him! Only God can heal our brokenness, calm our anxiety, forgive our sins, love us unconditionally, be a perfect Father, guide us in personal holiness, and SO much more! No time spent with Him is wasted. He already knows us inside and out, every hair on our head, every desire of our heart, every pain and joy we experience. Like any other relationship, the more time we spend listening and talking to Jesus, the more intimately we get to know Him and His plan for our lives. We encourage you to be REAL with Him. He cares more than you can imagine and will never stop!
TESTIMONY SPOTLIGHT
We closed out the RW Spring semester with prayer and worship while handing out prayer cards for each woman to take and commit to praying for over the summer. We’ve already had some testimonies come through, and we wanted to share one with you.
Within the first year of being married, my husband and I moved away from our hometown, family, and friends. It was really hard being away from everyone we loved dearly. The first thing we wanted to do was find a church. No matter where we would move, a church home was always a must! Being a new Christian, newly married, and packing up everything to move to a different state definitely made it difficult to connect with anyone. I was struggling with past hurts at this time, but since I wasn't close to anyone yet, I kept it all to myself. Once we moved to Arizona, I remember attending the first Real Women formally known as 'Flourish'.
There was one moment that really exposed the heart and mission of Real Women I was dealing with a really big struggle in secret because of the shame I felt. Some would say it was a stronghold, but for me, it was a stranglehold; I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, and my mind was blurred. One day, I stood outside of the church, telling myself to hold it in. It was my burden to carry, but once I sat down, the RW table lead looked at me, and she knew something was wrong. She asked if I was okay, and I couldn't hold it in anymore. I opened up and bawled my eyes out, expecting the judgment I heard in my head for months Instead, the women at my table got up, placed their hands on me, and prayed.
I still struggled for a few months after, but my table continued praying for me and helped me have courage through it. I will always be grateful for those women walking with me.
Real Women helped me connect with women that I now call my closest friends. These women helped me through my worst and encouraged me through my best. This ministry is a home away from home for me. I understand it’s hard to open up and do life with ladies you’ve never met, but it is so worth trying.
“Real Women helped me connect with women that I now call my closest friends.”
I'm praying that whoever reads this will experience the safe haven I experience when I attend. The Lord is doing wonderful things in this ministry. These women at RW love us and want to see us flourish. They want to help free us from any strongholds we may have and give us the wisdom we may need. For someone who doesn't have any relatives nearby, this ministry was there for me. I pray these ladies at RW will be there for you.
*Testimony is from a courageous woman that we will leave anonymous (not pictured)
Do you have a testimony about Real Women? We’d love to hear about it! Email
ARE YOU READY TO RE-CONNECT?
The 2020 “epidemic” brought about another epidemic called loneliness, which about half of U.S. adults experience in measurable levels. Shockingly, studies show the health toll of disconnection is worse than smoking! Not being connected in a healthy community shows an increased risk of dementia by 50%, premature death by 60%, and depression/anxiety issues Why do these stats make sense? Because God lives in connection through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and created us in His image to be part of His family. Like any family, we all have our issues, but walking together through life helps us grow and flourish versus living alone without encouragement or loving correction from people who care about us.
Have people betrayed you, not made you feel welcome, gossiped about you, or ghosted you? Welcome to life in a broken, sinful world that needs Jesus desperately! If connecting or re-connecting makes you break out in hives, I want to encourage you to know that you aren't alone and that there's a way forward. Recognizing we've also hurt others and forgiving others is the first step. Ask the Lord to show you if you are holding onto unforgiveness, which will keep you from wanting to connect again or will connect you in an unhealthy way. One of the most common questions I get is, "How and why do you trust women after what you've been through?" I could choose to be lonely and bitter for the rest of my life, or I can choose to forgive and heal through the power of the Holy Spirit. Once you clear the runway of debris, the next step is to pray for courage to re-connect. The Enemy wants nothing more than to isolate you from God's people, but God has a blessing for you in relationships. Also, as you forgive and move forward, you will be reminded to love others as God has loved you.
1 John 4:7 tells us, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a childofGodandknowsGod.”
He continues by telling us how God’s unconditional love for us was shown by sending His son Jesus to the cross, which is far beyond any love we show others. We have all betrayed and sinned against God (Rom. 3:23), yet He desires to forgive us and reconnect us to His loving family (1 John 1:9)! Let’s follow His example as we love one another.
The Real Women lead team is praying for you this semester as you connect and reconnect. We pray for healthy, life-giving relationships first with Jesus then with other women! I promise, it’s possible to enjoy close relationships and we want to allow for that as we gather starting Wed, Sept 18 at 9:30am and 6:30pm for Real Women. We’d love to greet you, help you grow in your walk, and connect you to women. JOIN US!
We asked some of our leaders what they’re looking forward to at RW this coming semester and these were their answers:
The depths of relationship and friendship at Real Women sets it apart. I always miss it when we go on break. I’m looking forward to continuing a deeper walk with Jesus and one another.
��Debbie M
We put together a Summer Playlist for you. Scan the QR code to check it out!
I love the excitement every semester we relaunch RW. The excitement of what God has done in the ladies’ lives and the anticipation of what He is going to do with each new semester.
��Trish
I look forward to continuing to build relationships with some of the best women I know!
��
Lidia
When Pastor Mark asked me to start Real Women, and I finally agreed to, I said “only if I can make it meaningful and fun without all the drama!” Guess what God did? He made it meaningful and fun with only a little drama, and I have dear women that I call friends!
Grace
We’d love to hear from you! What are you looking forward to this semester at Real Women?
JOIN US FOR
BOOKSPOTLIGHT
This semester we are giving out a free booklet on the first week of Real Women to kickstart our Armor Up series! “Your Identity in Christ” by Neil T Anderson is a great little pocket book that talks about identity, the battle for our mind, and the spiritual armor from Ephesians 6. All of Ephesians is about our identity in Christ, which gives us the foundation for all our life decisions and behavior. Who we are in Christ is what the Enemy wants to constantly lie to us about, even though the Bible is clear. This book is a great tool for renewing our minds and being aware of how the Enemy works.
Check out the categories on the Resource page (scan the QR code below).
Scan the QR code for additional resources
THEGOSPEL
In a world filled with bad news, it is so refreshing to get some good news There's a special word in the Bible that means "good news,” and that word is Gospel. It’s simple to do, yet deep and humbling to receive and live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ! God created us to be part of His family, but when sin entered the world through our first parents, Adam and Eve, it separated us from Him. Because God is holy and perfect, the only way to bring us back into His family was to send His son Jesus to live a perfect, sinless life and to die on the cross for our sins and resurrect (defeat death). It was the greatest act of love and grace possible…our sin for Jesus’ life! That’s how much He loves us, but it requires us to believe this Gospel truth and trust in Him as we answer God’s prompting to be in a relationship with Him. If you don’t know Jesus, He already knows you, so you can start talking to Him through prayer
Tell Him about the burdens you carry, the sins you feel ashamed about, the pain you want to heal from, and that you want to surrender these things to have Him be your perfect Heavenly Father Tell Him you believe He is God, that He sent Jesus to rescue you, and that you want to be in a relationship with Him. Listen to Him as you pray and read His words to you (Bible). If you need a Bible, let us know via email so we can give you a Bible. We’d love to celebrate you as a new sister in Christ! Keep praying, read the Bible, and join us at church so you can get to know other Christians who are learning along with you.
THANK YOU
Thank you for being patient this summer while we took our breaks! We hope you had times of refreshing as well. We’re looking forward to what the Lord has for us this Fall!
If the Lord has answered any of your prayers, as you read earlier, we’d love to hear about it! You can email us at realwomen@trinitychurch.com, and we will keep it anonymous if we use it in a Real Connection Newsletter. Thank you!
This verse is an encouragement for Christians to acknowledge and receive God’s love which empowers us to love others. If we aren’t feeling love toward others, we can ask God to search our hearts and clear out any unforgiveness, resentment, hatred, or unkindness that inhibits us from loving them Sometimes, love is a boundary if someone has done harm, but we still need to love them by forgiving them and letting God deal with them. As children of God, we will want to love others with the new hearts He gives us when we are saved. I encourage you to ponder this and let it guide your actions toward others.
Love, Grace
MEMORY VERSE:
“DEAR FRIENDS, LET US CONTINUE TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER, FOR LOVE COMES FROM GOD. ANYONE WHO LOVES IS A CHILD OF GOD AND KNOWS GOD.”
1 JOHN 4:7