By Cathie Ostapchuk
I’m asking myself this question this week.
We move into our home on Saturday, after weeks of living out of suitcases, and a week later I leave for Cairo to spend time with women leaders from around the world. There is much to be grateful for. There is also a lot to carry.
I’m tired. And I’m noticing how quickly my response becomes, “I just need to get through this.”
Perhaps you know that feeling.
You keep showing up for the people and the work you love. You pray about what’s ahead. You make another list. But somewhere in the middle of it all, you wish someone would ask, “And how are you, really?”
I wonder how many of us have quietly come to believe that being faithful means being able to manage on our own.
Who told us that?
When I read the New Testament, I see people sharing meals and possessions, praying together, sending one another out, and welcoming one another home. I hear Paul asking for prayer and naming the friends whose presence refreshed him.
Even Paul needed people.
So do we.
And sometimes we need to say so before anyone knows.
Is there someone who knows what you’re carrying right now? Someone you can call before you have it all sorted out? Someone who will listen, pray, and perhaps help you see something you couldn’t see on your own?
I hope there is. And if there isn’t, I want you to know that longing for those friendships matters.
It is part of why Gather exists.
Over the years, I have met so many women across Canada who love Jesus and want their lives to count for His Kingdom. Women with wisdom, experience, questions, ideas - and often very little space to talk about any of it.
I think about the woman wondering where her gifts fit now that her life has changed. The younger woman who would love someone further along to take an interest in her. The leader who spends her days encouraging others and could use a little encouragement herself.
I want us to find one another.
I want women to have somewhere to open Scripture together and ask honest questions. Somewhere to be reminded of who they are in Christ. Somewhere to learn, to contribute, and to be prayed for by name.
That is the heart behind the Gather way. Helping women live well and lead whole. Paying attention to who we are becoming as we respond to what God has asked us to do.
And it is why I’m so delighted to say: Gather Circles has launched!
My hope is that something as simple as women making time to gather will become a treasured part of their lives. That someone will leave a conversation thinking, “I needed that.” That friendships will grow. That a woman who has been hesitant to bring her gifts will find the encouragement to begin.
Perhaps you would like to be part of a Circle and perhaps already thinking of a few women you could invite. We would love you to explore becoming a Guide and would love to help you take that step.
And then there is BEHOLD.
I would so love to see you there.
On Friday evening, we’ll gather for worship, music, film, live stories, dessert, and a look at what’s ahead. It will also be an evening of generosity - a fundraiser to help us continue investing in women and girls. We’ll celebrate the story so far and invite you to help make the next chapter possible.
On Saturday, we’ll spend time being equipped, with teaching and conversations that I pray will strengthen you for your own life and the places God has called you to serve.
We begin announcing the voices joining us next week, and I can hardly wait to share them with you.
Registration is open. Come with a friend. Or come on your own and let us welcome 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