Why a Blog?
2021. A new year. A fresh start.
There is no doubt about it. 2020 did not go like we planned. COVID-19 changed the way that we gather and meet in ways that we never could have predicted. Last year we planned on monthly gatherings to share food and conversation. We planned to host a bunco night. We planned on a big craft event and a Christmas party. Yet month after month we were forced to continue to re-evaluate those plans and choose the course of action that we felt would best serve the ladies of our church during a pandemic.
As our leadership team has been meeting and planning events for the women at Hope Church we've been repeatedly wrestling with the same question: how can we safely provide opportunities for women to connect?
There is no doubt about it. 2020 did not go like we planned. COVID-19 changed the way that we gather and meet in ways that we never could have predicted. Last year we planned on monthly gatherings to share food and conversation. We planned to host a bunco night. We planned on a big craft event and a Christmas party. Yet month after month we were forced to continue to re-evaluate those plans and choose the course of action that we felt would best serve the ladies of our church during a pandemic.
We continue to struggle with the reality that there is a wide range of what is comfortable for an individual. The pandemic has forced us to become more comfortable connecting online, but it's still inferior to being together. However, we as a team strongly believe that it is still necessary for women to connect. The Christian faith by design thrives in community. We need women to encourage us, to provide perspective, to hold us accountable, to mentor us, to allow us to feel heard and understood.
So as we were looking at our plans for 2021, we were trying to think of creative ways that we can connect with women in our church more frequently. We miss being together consistently and the space that creates for casual conversation.
All this led to the idea to try a blog. We don't know how it will go. Truthfully, we've never done this before! But we wanted to create a safe platform that is informal, casual, and allows us to share thoughts and content more frequently. We plan to post info about upcoming events and summaries of the event after they occurred. Share personal thoughts and reflections along with recipes and craft ideas. We hope it'll be light hearted, but also real and most importantly an avenue that allows you to feel more connected to the women in our church. Because at the end of the day, our greatest desire is that you'll grow deeper in a thriving relationship with Jesus Christ.
We hope you'll join us.
The Ladies of Hope Leadership Team