We asked you to develop our idea "In Step with the Spirit," into a great event, and did you ever deliver! You are the most creative bunch of women I know. We always welcome great ideas around here, and these are some great ones.

Scripture Reference: Galatians 5:25

Description: Shoe theme in hot pink, lime green, black & white ... and here are some of the creative ideas you sent in!

From Kathleen ... I would plan a fashion show as a community outreach and witnessing tool. But I would make sure that the shoes take center stage. Shoe choice represents a lot in our lives.

Do we wear comfortable flats that allow us to get to where we're going quickly? Wearing comfortable "shoes" allows us to keep in step with the Spirit. There are things in our lives that slow us down and distract us from our walk.

Do we love to wear the 3" heels? When we stand tall, we are able to look above and beyond the things of this world and are able to see ahead to God's promises.

Do we rid our feet of our shoes as soon as we get home and slide into a pair of comfy slippers? Keeping in step with God is just like those comfortable slippers - being with God should be a comfortable, well worn fit. God can give us the warm fuzzies!

Possibly our preference is a barely-there sandal. We should let others see who we really are - see God through our walk as our feet show through the sandals.

So, as we watch the fashion show, the clothing is described and then someone talks briefly about God's promises if we walk with the Spirit. (using each shoe type as a basis for that portion of the talk) I possibly would talk to a local podiatrist to find out about care of our feet - just as we should take care of our spiritual lives. Possibly a table can be set up with information on foot care. We need to be ready to walk the walk. Gifts might be lotions meant for the feet or soothing tablets for the bath for our feet. I've also seen adorable notepads in the shape of shoes. Desserts could be cookies cut out in the shape of shoes or the shape of a footprint. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Oh my gosh - I think we'll try this one!

From Beth... Talk/Lesson: You could have different types of shoes available (tennis shoes, high heel shoes, work boots, high top shoes or boots and ones that don't cover much, dress shoes, etc., etc.). Use each type of shoe to illustrate the different kinds of walks we have with Christ as people or in different times of our life.

Example 1: Dress Shoes - when we want our Christian walk to look good but does not have much support and when we do this it makes it harder to walk just like being in high heel dress shoes.

Example 2: Work shoes/boots when we really put our whole self into our work for God and don't care how nice we look - not afraid to get in there and really work.

Example 3: Old Tennis Shoes - Don't care how we look but are comfortable in our walk with God. Our relationship is trust worthy and supportive just like an old pair of tennis shoes.

Example 4: High top shoes (could go either way with this example) - In our Christian walk we try to cover too much up in our Christian walk, don't want people to see the real us, hide behind our religious words/deeds. Or you could go with high top shoes representing when we are completely covered by God and His Word.

Example 5: You could even have shoes in different colors (white, black, green, red & yellow) to tell the plan of salvation.

Game 1:

You could have a really big pair of shoes or a pair that might be difficult to walk in for most women, and do a race where women form a couple teams and have to take turns walking in these shoes (maybe doing something while they are in them) and see which team finishes first. Could illustrate what happens when we try to walk the Christian walk acting like someone else or taking on things that don't fit us (not our spiritual gift).

Game 2:

Everyone take off their shoes and put them in a big stack. Then form two teams and women have to run down and find their shoes, put them on and run back, then next person goes. First team to finish wins.

Game 3:

Have teams where you go two at a time and try to put on each other's shoes. When you are done the next pair of women to this and so on until one team finishes. First team to finish wins. This illustrates the importance of walking together/working together to get through life.

Gifts/Prizes:

Get little shoes on a key chain to give away. Or for bigger prizes give a gift certificate or more than one to a shoe store.

From Cynthia... So many times we judge others, and its not until we walk in their shoes do we truly comprehend what they are going through...so I think I would decorate with black tablecloths and spring colors...have the shoes on the table...Talk about when the spirit of God takes us down paths, we are not to judge, because we may be in their shoes someday...

From Laura... I am new to this web site and I love to create ideas so... I immediately thought that at 40 something plus, I could never wear those heels! But when I looked at the theme: "Keeping in step with the Spirit," I thought I CAN do that! So I would propose that you have heels of varying styles and heights symbolizing the different stages in our life and in our Christian walk. Life changes and so do our heels, but the most important thing is the next step.

From Joy... This looks familiar! Last year for our annual women's tea, our theme was "If the Shoe Fits." Our colors were hot pink, lime green, black and white. The only difference so far was that our theme verse was Ephesians 6:15.

Each year our church hosts an outreach tea the Saturday after Mother's Day where approximately 300 women attend. Each table hosts 10 women and the hostess of that table decorates it however she'd like. So we have 30 tables in our worship center that are uniquely different and very beautiful! We give the women time to go around and look at all the beautiful tables before we begin our program for the afternoon. When the program begins, we have an opening welcome, then lunch and tea. This is typically followed by a skit that a gal from our church writes.

Then our speaker (sometimes a women from our church, sometimes an outside speaker) shared. We then had dessert and tea and finished up with special music and prayer. One of our ladies took a black and white picture of a pair of black high heeled shoes on a white quilt background and enhanced it with light pink on the inside of the shoe. That was used for our posters, the cover of our brochure and our programs. We also displayed a large portrait of the same picture on a large easel in the foyer. We decorated with hot pink daisies around the picture throughout the stage area in large vases. At the dollar store in town, we found gift bags with pictures of shoes on them, and guess what colors the bags were? Black, white, and pink. We used those with hot pink tissue paper and green tissue paper in them around the registration table for decorations and in other parts of the tea area.

From Denise... I went to Jacksonville, Florida for a conference and they used a similar theme! One thing they did was buy $1 flip flops for everyone to decorate and take home with them. I have seen some cute napkins and centerpiece ideas using the high heels and bright colors. There are soooo many directions you could go with this theme. It can be used for a retreat, a ladies night out at church, a girl's get-together in a home or restaurant, or an all night slumber party. Have some of your ladies share what they have learned about walking in step with God and living by the Holy Spirit's power. Perhaps, you can have 5 short testimonies on how they have learned to submit and walk with God - emotionally, physically, socially, intellectually, and vocationally. As daughters of the King, we need to keep in step with Him and let Him determine our values and standards in "such a time as this". (Esther 4:14)

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