Renew Conference: A September Favorite


Over the past three years, the Iowa Regular Baptist Camp Women’s Renew Conference has been one of the highlights of my year. It’s two days of Bible study, workshops, fellowship, food and outdoor adventures - and it renews me heart and soul.



This year’s theme was It’s All About Who? Instead of making everything about us, we were called to put the focus back where it belongs, which is on Christ alone. In these days of hustle and bustle and looking for comfort and trying to excel at life, we often forget that the way we live has nothing to do with us and everything to do with the Lord Himself.


As always, we had an amazing time as friends and sisters in Christ. I love our conversations in the church van and planning how we’re going to accomplish every single thing on the agenda for the weekend. And of course, that means the pallet maze! Our arch nemesis from last year, we defeated it in record time this year, finding all four corners and both bridges in less than half an hour. Take that, maze!


I will admit that I didn’t do the zip line this year. For some reason I was incredibly scared this time, and I ended up not going. It’s something I’ll have to get prayed up for before I try it again. Instead, we attended several of the workshops, took the hay ride, climbed to the top of the observation tower and indulged in the dessert reception. 


Here are just a few take-aways I have highlighted in my notes: 
* Doing all for the glory of God means bringing radiant applause to Him, not yourself.
* Do what you do every day so that you can make God “big.” 
* Where do you park? Are you living in the past, stuck in the present or looking ahead to the future?
* God knows what will make us dependent on Him.
* He is trusting us with this trial. 


I have enough written in my notes to feast on for another year, for sure. If you’re interested in attending next year’s conference, it is the perfect way to start the month of September. 

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