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“A New Day”
By JOHNIECE RAY Published June 12, 2008 On Saturday May 31, 2008 women from all over the nation gathered to experience something they had possibly never experienced before. What event for women could create such an outcome or stir up such emotion? Was it a banquet to celebrate the most powerful women in corporate America? Or even a seminar on how to find and keep that perfect guy? Perhaps a conference on how to be the best woman you can be while staying in sync with mother earth? While all of these things can draw such a crowd and empower women from all over; that wasn’t the case Saturday morning. Women of different races and ages gathered together in unison to experience Women’s Day 2008, an event hosted by the women of the Metro Atlanta Church of Christ (The GACC & ANCOC), entitled “A New Day.” The event couldn’t have gotten off to a better start as things kicked off with Joe and Torrie Redding dancing to the Sinatra serenade “The Way You Look Tonight,” performed by Byron Word. This set the mood to the amazing performances that would follow throughout the event. Songs that uplifted, empowered, and strengthened the souls of the women listening were heard throughout the day, such as India Arie’s “I Choose” performed by Jacqueline Guthrie and “Love Like This” performed by Novia Caswell. However, the singing was just a small taste of what was to come.    After a short pause to raffle off lovely gift baskets, the room was filled with more than 130 women who all had something in common- small smiles of satisfaction and looks of anticipation on their faces. The next part of the program would help ease a little of that anticipation and help give more insight to what “A New Day” actually involved. Eyes were focused and ears were attentive as Anne Malgore, a sister in the singles ministry, approached the podium and began to speak passionately about, “ A New Day of Love.” Malgore shared about how she experienced several situations that helped her realize that God promises a love that makes it possible to live a life without fear. As she concluded, she challenged the women to stop living in fear and to allow God’s love to make them complete. Following Malgore, Jill Flowers, a married sister, shared about “A New Day of Understanding” and how God gives peace and understanding as we grow and lean on him. Next Sonia M. shared about "A New Day of Peace.” She talked about how it is important to remain loyal and faithful to God and how everyday is a new day of peace regardless of days prior. To inspire the women to look for “A New Day of Hope,” Clark Atlanta University student, Tashimah Evans, shared about her life before becoming a disciple and how God had bigger and better plans for her despite her past. Evans challenged the women to live as if there is hope and to be inspired by God’s plans. As these women shared about “A New Day,” they allowed the audience to realize that these days of hope, understanding, peace, and love were promises from God for them personally.   The guest speaker, Lavonia Drabott, packaged up the theme of Women’s Day 2008 and put it in a gift box for each woman to take home individually. Drabott, mother of 4, has been a disciple for 29 years and has served in the ministry in Columbus, OH, Boston, MA, Johannesburg, South Africa, Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA and now in Charlotte, NC. Drabott shared a message that allowed the women to believe that God has something better for each of them in attendance. Referring to several of the Bible’s powerhouse women such as Esther, Deborah and Mary, the mother of Jesus, Drabott pointed out that God called and used ordinary women to do extraordinary things. Challenging the women to surrender themselves to God’s will, Drabott spoke of how she thought her life would be completely different from what it is now. However, she has learned that, “When we surrender, we give up who we are to become the women that God wants us to be”. The audience was captivated by Drabott’s message. By the end of it some women looked as if they knew exactly what they needed to do to be surrendered and as Nanyana Reichert followed the message with the theme song, Celine Dion’s “A New Day,” there was an aura of brokenness yet inspiration floating throughout the room.   To conclude such a powerful event there had to be a powerful ending, and that’s exactly what the finale of Women’s Day 2008 was. “Help Me Believe,” a new song from Kirk Franklin, was the ribbon that tied the event together and perfected each woman’s gift box. As dancers dressed in white with colorful umbrella’s floating through the room to the melody, you could see on the faces of the women that they were not only inspired and full of hope, but they were also eager to get started on experiencing “A New Day.”  |
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