By Cathie Ostapchuk
There are seasons when we know we need something, even if we cannot quite name it.
We may be surrounded by people and still long for a deeper kind of companionship. We may be faithfully serving, leading, parenting, building or caring for others while quietly wondering where we are allowed to bring the questions underneath it all.
Where do I go to be formed, not simply used?
Where can I tell the truth about what I am carrying?
Where can I remember that I am loved by God before I accomplish one more thing for Him?
Perhaps this is the very thing you have been looking for.
This January, Gather Women is creating a room called BEHOLD—a beautiful gathering for women who want to remember what God has done, receive what they need for this season and become more deeply rooted for whatever comes next.
BEHOLD marks ten years of Gather Women, but it is not simply an anniversary celebration. It is an invitation into the story God is still writing among women in Canada.
On Friday evening, we will gather around worship, music, film, honest stories, dessert and vision. We will honour the women who have come before us, celebrate what God is doing now and invest in the women and girls who will carry the story forward.
On Saturday morning, we will meet around The Gather Leadership Table for formation, conversation and practical equipping. This is for women who lead in churches, ministries, workplaces, homes, communities and places that may never give them a formal title.
We are grateful that John and Helen Burns and Brooke Nicholls are among the first confirmed voices joining us. More voices and creative elements will be announced as the gathering takes shape.
You are warmly invited to come for Friday, Saturday or both. The fullest experience is to join us for both parts—the celebration and vision of Friday, followed by the formation and conversation of Saturday. But if you can attend only one, we would still love to welcome you.
And BEHOLD is not meant to be a beautiful moment that ends when we leave the room. Gather Circles are creating smaller places where women can continue meeting around Scripture, honest conversation and shared practice. The large room reminds us we are part of something wider. The smaller table gives us somewhere to keep becoming together.
You do not need a platform to come. You do not need to arrive certain, polished or already connected. You may simply need a room where you can breathe, listen, remember and find your people.
Perhaps BEHOLD is the invitation you have been waiting for.
Join us for BEHOLD this January. Come for Friday evening, Saturday morning or the complete experience. Spaces are limited, and there is a place in the room for you.
And this week, if someone asks how you are, perhaps give them a little more of the truth. I’m going to try to do that, too.
With love,
Cathie