Ministry Profile: Overview - Rock This House Conference Event
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Ministry Type: Conference Event
Ministry Website: Hosting Church Website -- www.AshFlatCofC.org
Mission Statement: Women of Faith Ministry of Ash Flat COC sponsors "Rock
This House" conference, annually (based on Acts 4:31). The conference is interdenominational. Its purpose is to bring about a better community through women in small, rural areas in and around the city of Ash Flat, Arkansas. By meeting needs in their communities, they strive to keep the name of Jesus presented in a positive way. Crop This House (scrapbooking for fee event) and Amazed (singing group) are ministries birthed out of Rock This House conference.
Ministry History: After attending a national Women of Faith event in Little Rock,
Arkansas (2007), Jan Haney felt led of the Lord to have an event that would be local and affordable for the women in her community and those communities surrounding it. She prayed for 6 months and then presented the idea to her church leadership. They supported it 100% and began praying. Two years later in 2009, they held their first event where 350 women attended a 2 day event (including supper and breakfast) for $10 per person. In 2011, almost 700 women attended the conference where womensministry.net founder, Jennifer Rothschild, was the speaker.
Leadership Style: Currently committee structure -- begun by one woman.
Funded: Ticket sales, Faith & Friends & 5K event, Crop This House (scrapbooking) event, Amazed (singing group) CD sales, T-shirts, personal donations.
Challenges:
- How to start a conference that had not been done before by their church with an attendance of about 200 and women's group of about 20 women.
- How to reach women of all denominations and surrounding communities.
- How to fund a 2-day conference with nationally known speakers for only $10 per person (including meals).
- How to reach out to small rural areas, so women can afford to come to a women's conference in their area. They could not afford to attend a larger conference with registration and housing expenses.
Responses:
- Jan Haney prayed for 6 months before approaching the leadership of her church for counsel and support. "Rock This House" conference was held for the first time two years after they first began praying.
- The women's ministry began to invite other churches of all denominations in their own community and the communities surrounding their town.
- Jan and the church prayed for direction and funding. A group of people believed so strongly in the "God vision" of the conference that they donated $5,000, anonymously. Jan has never known who God prompted to give those funds.
- They started planning, believing God for the funding. They planned a 5K run event and scrapbooking for fee event.
Results:
After 3 years, the 2011 conference attendance was over 700 women. The conference is self-sustaining and interdenominational. Women are coming to the conference even though they do not attend a local church and find they are warmly welcomed! Local women also share their personal stories of faith. The singing group, Amazed, was birthed out of need for a worship team. They produced a CD, with proceeds donated to the conference funds.
Lessons Learned:
- Be sure God is in the vision or dream. It won't work any other way! It is ALL in His hands. You do not have to know all the answers to step out in faith!
- Prayer is what makes their event successful. They start praying the day after the event for the next year. They pray throughout the year on a monthly basis. About a month prior to the event, they start praying weekly in homes. For 40 days prior to the event they have daily prayers.
- Recruit others to come along beside you in prayer. Pray with them as a group for God's guidance.
- If it is His plan, He will provide for it. God confirmed the vision, by providing an anonymous donation of $5,000, which covered their expenses.
- They were fully obedient to the details God instructed, including holding the price to $10 per person.
One final observation is that one woman with a God-inspired vision and the willingness to pray, plan, work and include others can make a difference in the world around her!
WMN Bonus: Enter to win a copy of the new CD from the Rock this House singing group Amazed by commenting below.
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