"Expand the space of your tent. Stretch out the curtains of your tent, and don’t hold back. Lengthen your tent ropes, and drive in the tent pegs. You will spread out on the right and left."
Isaiah 54:2, 3a GW
This year is the 40th Annual retreat of the Michigan Ministry Women! The theme for this year’s retreat is “Expand.” The scripture verse is taken from Isaiah 54:2, 3a (GW): “Expand the space of your tent and don’t hold back, lengthen your tent ropes and drive in the tent pegs. You will spread out to the right and to the left.”
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines expand as a transitive verb which is characterized by the verb having a direct object. These are the definitions of expand: 1. To open up; unfold. 2. To increase the extent, number, volume, or scope of: enlarge. So what could we - women in ministry expand? What should we open, unfold, or enlarge? It is the tent.
The tent is where we dwell/live. Psalm 90:1 came to mind when I thought about the word dwell: “Lord you have been our dwelling place in all generations.” Acts 17:28a states: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” When God is our dwelling place and we have our being in Him, we can expand our relationship with God our Father. We can unfold our lives before Him by completely presenting ourselves (bodies) as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). This will require obeying His commandments; we must be Holy (1Pet. 1:15) We can open-up our heart through prayer and ask God to fill us with His Holy Spirit. We can expand our knowledge of His Word through study/meditation. We can unfold His plan for our lives by diligently seeking His will. God can expand the scope of our ministry and godly influence when we abide/dwell in Him. John 15 tells us that we can bear much fruit and we can have our requests answered if we abide in Jesus and let His Words abide in us. The Father wants us to bear much fruit so we can increase the scope of our ministry. This will give Him praise and glory.
The tent is our relationships, our sphere of influence, and our outreach. If you are married, your husband should be your priority. Open up your heart to him, pray for him, and listen closely to his heart. Increase your love, patience, respect, understanding, and devotion to him. We should expand the scope of our hospitality to our loved ones, friends, and church members. We should look for ways to reach out to the community so we can show God’s love. We must extend forgiveness to our enemies and those who have hurt us. There are many hurting people around us who can be blessed with the resources that God has given to us. We can enlarge God’s Kingdom by being ambassadors for Christ through the ministry of reconciling the lost to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). We should earnestly make intercession to God for the sick, suffering, and those who are burdened with sin by following the principles set forth in James 5:13-16.
Lastly, the tent is our very being. It is where we express our creativity/persona. The tent is who we are individually; each one in the image of God. God has uniquely designed us with our own personality, form, purpose, and our place in the Body of Christ. We are God’s temple (1 Cor. 6:19-20). We can expand our personal development through education, work/career, spiritual gifts, fellowship, and service. Our Maker is our husband (Isaiah 54:5). By His amazing Grace, we can enlarge the scope of our influence, impact, and ministry. God can lengthen our tent ropes and drive in the tent pegs and spread us out to the right and to the left! The God of all grace… He will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us (1 Peter 5:10).
I am inviting our Michigan Church of God Women in Ministry – wives, ordained clergy women, retired/widowed clergy wives, worship leaders, CWC or WCG women leaders, Children’s ministry leaders, all women leaders to come and join me to expand your tents on Friday at 6 PM on September 13 through Sunday 15, 2024.
Jessica Cyriaque-Staton serves with her husband, Pastor Mark Staton II, at New Creation Church of God in Flint, MI and is grateful for NCC’s legacy of love and community support. She is the mother to Mark Andrew (14) and Madilyn Rose (10) and considers motherhood her first ministry and greatest work. Jessica credits her strong family connection to her mother and grandmother who were phenomenal women, and the foundational church family that she had in her youth.
Jessica has served as a counselor, program manager, and non-profit director seeking equity and resources for those impacted by trauma and abuse. She provides advocacy, comfort, and empowerment as a Chaplain, Consultant, and Trauma Practitioner within Wayne, Macomb, Oakland Counties. Currently, Jessica volunteers as a family advocate and group facilitator for local organizations and consults as an Associate Director for Revive Community Health Center in Flint, MI. She also holds multiple positions on local and national Executive Boards and Taskforces.
Jessica accepted her call to ministry under the leadership of Pastor Lawrence and Sis. Artelia Wyatt in 2002 at Southwestern Church of God in Detroit, and has worked to bridge generational and cultural gaps within the Body of Christ. She has over 20 years’ experience in Human Services in areas of career counseling, mental health, homelessness, trauma and abuse. In October 2018, Jessica launched The Good Fight, providing Family Advocacy and Trauma-Informed Care to communities in crisis.
Finally, if there is any hope for the future outside of Christ alone, “Lady J” (so affectionately called) seeks to leave a legacy of love and kindness for others to follow. She prays that her life will reflect a portion of the wisdom that has been poured into hers, and that her children are able to attest to her love for them and her family, her Lord, and His People.
Kim Salyer has been the Worship Leader/Office Manager at Farmington Hills Church of God, since August 2022, however, she was raised in the church and has served in the worship ministry from a young age. Growing up in a musical family, Kim’s love of music only increased as it wove into worship. God continued to move in Kim’s life and after 17 years of working in healthcare, God opened doors that allowed her to be where she is today. Kim and her husband, Ben, have two wonderful children, Bella (15) and Isaiah (10). The whole family loves music and regularly uses their God-given gifts and talents in the worship ministry. Kim is passionate about God, about people, and about worshiping through music. It brings her joy to gather together to worship with her brothers and sisters in Christ. Kim’s goal each time she leads worship is to create an opportunity for people to open their hearts, cultivate an atmosphere that invites in the Holy Spirit, and allow each person to commune with and grow closer to God.
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Registration, Welcome and Reception
8:00 – 9:15 p.m.
Message – Lady Jessica Cyriaque-Staton
Worship Encounter – Sister Kim Salyer
8:30 a.m.
Breakfast
9:15 a.m.
Table DBS (Discovery Bible Study) Group/Devotions
10:30 a.m.
Session I - Lady Jessica Cyriaque-Staton
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
1:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Free Time/Games
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Session II - Breakout Groups
6:00 p.m. Dinner
7:00- 8:30 p.m.
Session III -
Lady Jessica Cyriaque-Staton
Worship Encounter/Prayer Sister Kim Salyer
8:30 a.m.
Breakfast/Devotions
10:00 a.m.
Dismissal-Jessica Cyriaque-Staton
Registration:
Single occupancy - $170.00
Double occupancy - $140.00
If not registering from one of our
Michigan churches, please select
'-Guest' under the church list
thank you.
Questions - Contact:
Lady Sharon Richardson, browners1972@outlook.com
© 2002-now. General Assembly of the Church of God (Anderson) in Michigan
All Rights Reserved.
