Alison Buckley (Women’s Ministries Leader Macksville SDA church)

‘Best women’s retreat you have organised, morning tea and meals divine, connected with friends who I don’t get to talk to enough, the messages by speakers, slowing down and reflecting on surviving and thriving, chatting during breaks, dessert, both presentations wonderful, being able to fellowship with other women, especially those from my own church who I don’t get time to interact with, getting to know someone different at lunch, catching up with old friends and meeting new friends, it was all great, loved it, all of it, the entire day was special, thank you ladies’.

The best way to find out how an event that you organised went is to ask the participants. These are some of the responses of the forty women who attended the fourth annual Macksville SDA Church Women’s Retreat at Stuarts Point Convention Centre on November 21, 2020. This year’s retreat was held on one day, due to the prevailing health advice. In a year of Zoom meetings, the organising team stepped out in faith and planned a face to face event. Many prayers were answered to enable a successful day, with speakers Bronwyn Mison and Dr Jessica Trevithick addressing the theme, ‘Survive and Thrive’. In the afternoon, participants attended five sensory stations engaging God’s and their own creativity.

The organising team would like to the North NSW Conference Women’s Ministries Director, Bethany Chapman and the Convention Centre staff for their support.