interWOVEN Women's Conference
Loving the caregiver
A day for you....
Psalm 139:15 "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth."
interWOVEN Women's Conference
www.angelspageantsystem.com/interwoven-family-ministry.html
Register online at:
http://www.angelspageantsystem.com/interwoven-registration.html
Registration will be open April 1-May 1
Saturday, May 23, 2015, 10:00 AM
Geyer Springs First Baptist Church, Interstate 30, Little Rock, AR, United States
Agenda
9:30-Registration begins
10-10:15 Welcome & Prayer
10:15-10:50 Bible Study-Judi James
11:00-11:45 Bekka Wilkerson
12:00-12:50 Lunch
1:00-1:40 Breakout Sessions (18+, Early childhood, Alzheimer's/dementia)
1:45-2:30 BJ Thorn
2:40-3:00 Q&A session
Lindsey Stone
Judi James
Judi James is a devoted wife and mother of three beautiful children. She is humbly stepping out in faith to start this necklace ministry and is excited about what God is doing through it.
Right now, Judi is a stay-at-home mom and part-time Speech-Language Pathologist. Through her work, she has the opportunity to ...share the love of Christ with students, teachers, and administrators all over Central Arkansas. She is an active leader with the couple's and women's ministries of New Life Church in Conway, Arkansas.
She loves the opportunity to share her testimony, and gets to do it often by simply wearing her "Crowned By the King" necklace. She began this ministry, without even knowing it, in 2007 when she went to an event and was given the necklace as the take home gift. God began to do some big things in her at this time by teaching her about His unconditional love for her and the beauty and purpose He had for her. As He was teaching her these important things, she began to see how other ladies have the same desires as her. To feel beautiful, cherished, and purpose in their lives. Often times as women, we look for those things in our husbands, society, or families but ultimately we should be made whole in Christ, our father and King. Several times, while wearing her necklace, God gave her the opportunity to speak into other ladies lives and led her to give her necklace away. Upon giving the necklace to another lady, God showed her how simple it is to share his power and love with others. After praying about it, and the constant confirmation from the Lord, "Crowned by the King" ministry was born.
Her desire is to see women impacted through this ministry and the message of love and hope that Christ provides spread throughout the world. Her passion is to see women fall more in love with Christ and share His power and love with others. She has developed this fun and exciting women's ministry around this passion and the "Crowned By The King" necklace.
Judi enjoys sharing with women about God's faithfulness and love and is available to speak at retreats, events, and small groups. She humbly shares of God's faithfulness and love for her and her family through some very trying times. In her testimony she speaks of God‘s power: from healing her physical body of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), healing her broken marriage, and even blessing her with three beautiful kids, which she thought she might never have. During her testimony, she shares a fun yet powerful message for women leaving them encouraged and inspired
Janette Williams-Smith
Kathey Green
During this time, both her mother and father were diagnosed simultaneously with Alzheimer’s. It was her "honor and privilege” to serve as their primary caregiver for 14 years. Following their passing, she felt a passion to help other caregivers through the trials and tribulations of caregiving. She contacted Alzheimer’s Arkansas for facilitator training in order to start the Alzheimer’s/Dementia Caregiver Support Group on the campus of First Assembly of God Church in NLR. This organization was very helpful during her parents‘ walk with this horrifying disease.
Her purpose is to allow a “safe place” for caregivers to come learn from and share with others the experiences of unsurmountable times of stress and exhaustion. Her goal is that each and every one present, leave that evening knowing that their emotions were heard, vilified and assisted in any variant of challenge they have faced in their “journey in forgetfulness”.
When we reach the end of that journey, there is a reward far greater than any of the problems, the frustrations, the anger and/or the exhaustion one has experienced. We have to make a choice in the way we look at things.
Something spiritual happens through the process of this disease, not only for the loved one, but for the caregiver also. She will be leading our breakout session for the loved ones caring for someone with Alzheimer's or dementia. We are so proud to have her on our team
Bekka Wilkerson
The Special Gifts Ministry has evolved from a single program for only a hand full of children into a major program featuring not only Sunday Morning Programs but also an adapted Vacation Bible School, Summer Camp Program, Superhero Walk for Awareness and much more! This year the Special Gifts Ministry was also blessed to receive a major grant from the Tim Tebow Foundation to hold its first ever Special Needs Night to Shine Prom! God has truly blessed and grown this ministry and continues to do so daily!
Bekka has been married to her husband, Speedy, for 3 years and has 3 beautiful step children, Austin (16), Bailey (14), and Bryce(14). This ministry has been further blessed by the addition of Speedy and the children, as they are all actively involved as well!
Bekka received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Central Arkansas and is currently a master’s degree candidate in Disability Studies with an emphasis on Ministry from California Baptist University. Bekka is an active member of the Junior Auxiliary of Saline County where she serves on the executive board and is the chairwoman and the Bryant Adaptive Play Committee Additionally, Bekka and her family just inherited the Project Prom Saline County Organization that provides formalwear for young men and women who are unable to afford clothing to attend prom and other functions.
Bekka’s goal is to continue working to make the church a place of adaption and inclusion for people with special needs. She understands the value and importance that those with special needs provide to the diversity of congregations and seeks to help other churches embrace these ideals and open their doors to everyone in their community; to truly make thean for their Special Needs Committee; she also serves on the Executive Board for the Arkansas Disability Coalition church a place of love and inclusion. She will be one of our early morning speakers, she will be focused on navigating the church as a family with a loved one with special needs.
BJ Thorn
She has also participated in Project DOCC (delivery of chronic care) as a parent instructor of physician residents, to give them a birds eye view of the perspective of parents caring for children with chronic illness.
BJ is the creator and founder of the Angels Pageant system, a national system dedicated to allowing special needs individuals to be recognized as the beautiful souls they are. Her daughter, Andrea was the inspiration for the pageant system. As a non profit organization, they provide the entire pageant experience for those with special needs. Nationally she facilitates over 30 state pageants, with interest from all 50 states and 3 other countries, the Angels pageant is the premier program in the nation.
When Andrea passed away in 2013, her focus shifted to caring for the caregiver, thus the birth of the interWOVEN Family Ministry. As a registered nurse she has advocated for her pediatric, neonatal, and adult patients. She was nominated for 2013 Vilonia Volunteer of the Year, 2013 CNN Person of the Year, and the NICU Heroes Award from Mead Johnson. Her ultimate goal in life is to leave people better than she found them. She is proud of the multiple community outreach projects she has been involved in, which she gives all the credit to the Lord for using her to do his will