“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.' - Proverbs 31:25
We are so excited about the upcoming Flourish events here at Sutton Vineyard.
Our men's and women's ministries are an essential part of our community and are one of the ways that we can grow in our faith and build relationships with each other. They are spaces for all ages, generations and people of all stages of life to come together and learn from each other.
I want to share with you why we run Flourish and give some exciting updates about our upcoming events!
What is Flourish?
Three key values are at the heart of what we do at Flourish are: faith, friendship and fun!
We are a people of faith, and one of the reasons we have a women's ministry is to encourage one another in our faith. We all have a variety of life experiences, drawing on our strengths as we journey through different phases in our lives, but some challenges we face are unique to us as women.
Whatever stage of life, joy or heartache you are facing, Flourish is a safe place to listen to what Jesus says and be around other women who will encourage you and pray for you as we explore our faith together.
Flourish and friendship
God created you for relationship, relationship with Him and with others. Friendship is an integral part of life and the Christian community, and Flourish is a place where friendship can be found and nurtured.
We believe wholeheartedly in having fun! We want to create spaces that are full of laughter and joy. Having fun together is meaningful, and Flourish is one of those spaces at Sutton Vineyard with lots of room for fun.
One of my favourite passages about women in the Bible is Proverbs 31:10-31. It is often referred to as a passage for wives. Still, in our society today, where women have far more independence and freedom than in the times of the Old Testament, it is a passage that I have found to be more about womanhood than simply for those of us who are married. Verse 25 says:
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.'
My prayer for us at Flourish, as a community of women, is that we will continually experience the strength and dignity God gave us and that laughter would be abundant!
Flourish Events coming up…
We have two great events coming up!
Flourish Meal Out
On the 29th September, we have our Flourish meal at Zizzi’s in Sutton. This is an excellent opportunity to spend time together over food. Spaces are limited; you can find more information and sign up here.
Flourish Day Conference
We are also very excited about our first Flourish Day Conference on the 4th November. We have invited Sian Wade to come and speak with us. Sian is Senior Pastor at Bridge Church Lincoln; she has established a unity movement of over 70 churches in Lincoln, pioneered community transformation projects, and developed incredible working relationships between the church, the NHS and local government. Sian will spend the day with us as we explore what God has to say to each of us about our fit in the Kingdom of God. I will also be speaking, and we will have times of worship and prayer together, too. Put the date in your diary, as spaces are limited! You can sign up and find more information here.
I am incredibly excited to see what God will do in and through us as we gather and spend time in His presence.
Libby Arnold,
Senior Pastor, Sutton Vineyard