Many enjoyed an afternoon of great food, fun, fellowship, and great speakers and left encouraged and with hope.

Thank you to everyone who attended The Women’s Event: Navigating Life’s Seasons with Hope. It was a very enjoyable afternoon of fabulous food, fun, fellowship, and great speakers. The speakers were varied and interesting, each speaking about hope from their own perspective.

We began with Alanna Chapman from 27 Seconds Wine, who spoke about the work they do giving hope to those coming out of slavery. A trip to India with her husband Pete saw them come face to face with the devastation of slavery. The injustice of it hit them hard. There are more people in slavery today than ever before. Twenty-one million is the conservative estimate – the Global Slavery Index suggests 40.3 million. Either way – 21 or 40.3 million – is far too many! This prompted them to want to do something to help. Being in the wine business, they created the wine brand 27 Seconds (named because someone is trafficked into slavery somewhere in the world every 27 seconds!). 100% of the profits go to helping to end slavery. They have partnered with Hagar who provide intensive recovery care to survivors of slavery, trafficking, and severe abuse in Cambodia, Vietnam, and humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. When you buy and drink their wine, you are not only enjoying good wine but you are doing good.

“It’s a small response to a big issue, but choose it and together we become part of the answer.” 27 Seconds Wine

27 Seconds wines are available from New World or online at this website: https://27seconds.co.nz/

Next, Jo Cotton spoke of hope in the midst of tragedy and told us the story of her son’s accident. After being hit by an Isuzu Bighorn he sustained life-threatening injuries that left him with serious head and internal injuries, along with a broken humerus. After a conversation with God about helping her get through what lay ahead, she found strength and hope knowing that God was with her and her family. And he did indeed get them all through the experience and the story had a happy ending, with her son making a full recovery.

Jo Bader, Senior Client Services Manager, Aviva Sexual Violence Services spoke to us about the work of Aviva. She told us of some pretty awful statistics.

Violence in Aotearoa, NZ

  • Every 3 minutes in Aotearoa, Police are called to a family violence event.

  • Only a quarter of family violence incidents are reported to police. For sexual violence, it is estimated to be around 10%

  • 30% of adults report they have experienced at least one act of sexual assault or intimate partner violence in their lifetime.

  • 14% of young people report being hit or physically harmed by an adult at home

  • Children are present at 80% of violent incidents in the home

But organisations like Aviva are bringing hope to those who most need it.

If you would like to know more information or help support Aviva, please go to their website: https://www.avivafamilies.org.nz/

We ended the speakers with Lifestreams member Penelope Paynter‘s faith story. She spoke from the heart about her journey and commitment to the Christian faith. Her talk resonated well with a lot of the women attending. She shared stories of her mother and some of her favourite Bible verses and the hope that she has in God.

Becky George had a word from 1 Kings 19. 10/11-13.

We’d heard about women making faith decisions about work, home and life. These decisions haven’t always been big or significant, but God has used them all and created huge impact out of them. God isn’t always big and loud… often he comes as a whisper. We may think our whispers don’t matter but they do. There were so many strong women in that room and it was important for them to know that their decisions matter, their choices are important and they can do great work for God. Becky George.

A big thanks to Rebecca Latimer, Beks Dickson, and Penelope Paynter for their hard work and input to the afternoon’s event. The music they chose touched people, the food they provided amazed people, and the fun and connections that were made during the afternoon were greatly appreciated by everyone who attended. And thanks must also go to Nathan, Isaac and Selwyn for their sterling work in the kitchen. We had so much amazing feedback.

“I really enjoyed last Saturday. Amazing food and great company and really interesting speakers. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a St B function like it before and I was hard-pressed not to leap up and help with the dishes. It was great to see the blokes pressed into action in the kitchen.” Margaret Harper

By Jo Cotton