Meeting together regularly is vital for Sydney Anglican women involved in the Diocesan Mission, says an organiser of a sell-out women's dinner held this week.
Organisers regretted having to turn people away, but were thrilled to welcome the 380 Christian women who packed out the Blacktown Civic Centre on March 15.
The annual Western Region Autumn Dinner, a fixture for over 20 years, is popular with women from the region who use the gathering to reconnect and recharge their batteries for another year of fruitful ministry in their own local churches.
The dynamic members of the Western Regional Women's Committee have a formidable task each year of uniting Anglican women from as far away as Lithgow to Parramatta for encouragement and training in ministry.
Virginia Lee, the wife of the Bishop of Western Sydney, said women from the West feel a sense of belonging to the region, evidenced in the dinner's popularity.
Jackie Stoneman, a member of the Diocesan Women's Ministry Team, spoke from Romans 8 on dealing with grief and change.
"Women are extending themselves in ministry under the Mission, so meeting together for encouragement is important, especially in dealing with issues of change," Mrs Lee said.
The next major women's event being held in the West is a ministry training day run through Mary Andrew's College and the Diocesan Women's Ministry Team on Saturday April 9 at Penrith Anglican College. Entitled "Mission in my backyard' organisers are encouraging women across the region to attend. Days are also being held in other regions across the Diocese in April.
"All of us need to taking part in ongoing training," Mrs Lee said. "It's an opportunity to persevere in our Christian lives."
For information about the training days visit [url=http://www.mac.edu.au]http://www.mac.edu.au[/url] or call (02) 9517 533.
