Article out of the FPC Big Spring Newsletter, May 2009
On Saturday, April 25, the Presbyterian Women hosted the first of two annual Spring Gatherings for the PW of Tres Rios Presbytery. The second Gathering will be held on Saturday, May 9, in El Paso at Highland Presbyterian Church. This is the first year that Tres Rios PW has planned a dual meeting to put all women of the presbytery within 3-4 hours of an annual meeting location.
As the women registered for the Big Spring meeting, the Coahoma Presbyterian Church PW provided juice, fruit, and sweets for the ladies. Women from churches in Midland, Odessa, Eldorado, Ft. Stockton, Ft. Davis, San Angelo, Coahoma, and Big Spring attended as well as one of the speakers who drove up from Portland near Corpus Christi.
A worship service and a bilingual communion service led by Bea Torres, CLP of Nazareth Presbyterian Church, opened the activities of the day. the group of 58 women and 3 men heard the keynote speakers Marj Carpenter, former moderator of General Assembly PC (USA), and Patti Nance, Mission Interpreter of the Synod of the Sun PW. The theme of the meeting, "200 Years and Going Strong," focused on the role of women and the continued importance of mission to the PC(USA) church and its women.
A highlight of the business meeting was the announcement that in spite of difficult economic times that have reduced the available interest for educational scholarships, Tres Rios Presbyterian Women will be increasing their Willie Hall Black-Barstow Scholarship amount from $750 to $1,000 per recipient. This step of faith will enable the women' s group to help encourage seminary students from Tres Rios Presbytery with more money for books.
The 2009-2010 Justice and Peace Offering of $307 was given for Project Vida in El Paso.
The women of Big Spring church served lunch on tables decorated with antique roses in tea pots. The travelers were provided bags of "cookies for the roads" as they returned home in the early afternoon.
It is no wonder that the women of our church have a well-deserved reputation for Christian hospitality.
