“Are you excited about this weekend?” I asked. I could tell by her facial expression that excitement was not quite word she would have used. After a small pause, she responded, “I’ll get excited soon. Right now, there’s so much to do.” And with that, she rattled off the rest of her list.
Those are always the moments people never see; when our First Lady assesses her planning options, wrinkles her nose in quiet confusion, and then with an uncertain smile and wavering laugh, revels in optimism. It’s this kind of optimism that grounds the women of our church in the pressurized moments. And for the Holiness Tabernacle Church of God in Christ Women’s Department, there is no greater moment than that of the annual Women’s Weekend.
Since July 2000, the Women’s Department has reserved three days of the year to fellowship with and uplift both our female membership, as well as women from around the community. This year was no different! Planning always begins well in advance, and this year’s Women Weekend, “Upgrade Your Life: Preparing For the Overflow!” kicked off on Friday, July 13 with our annual potluck. The potluck is always a bright moment because it gives our membership, old and new, a chance to spend time alone. We laughed at each other’s stories, talked about the Lord’s providential work in our lives, and fought… over a succulent strawberry cheesecake! Surprisingly, the Lord’s providential work seemed to be going on right in front of our eyes that night, because the Women’s Department seemed closer than in years past. 
There was an organic lightness in the air, a common fellowship and excitement over what He was doing in each other’s lives, accompanied by a sisterly openness that flowed through like fresh spring water. Beautifully, this was just the beginning of our Women’s Weekend.
The next morning, the HTC women returned bright and early for the highlight of our Women’s Weekend, the Women’s Tea. The sanctuary popped with colorful decorations thanks to Sister Yolinda McCown’s A Time N Place, event planning company. The brisk island-inspired oranges and yellows seemed to glow against their fuchsia backdrops, adding a sensational flair to the sensational event. Women from all over the Metro area and beyond arrived wearing different shades of our theme colors: orange and pink. After all had arrived, guest emcee, Missionary Helen Satterfield, opened the Tea with a song of praise. Our all-female praise team joined in and brought the house to its feet singing in harmonious hallelujahs and songs of excitement. Missionary Satterfield followed this with a word about her excitement to return to our Tea stage once again. “Oh the food!” she smiled, a nod to our Hospitality Department’s history of great cuisine.
This year was not no different because the food was fantastic! Our island colors were only complimented by plates decked out with chicken salad, salmon cakes, wings, deviled eggs, country ham, dips and cucumber salads, as well as an array of desserts. 
Of course no Tea is complete without…tea! Our thirsts were quenched with cold fruit infused teas and homemade punch concoctions.
After a more than satisfying feast, the women listened to testimonies about this year’s selected women’s health issue: breast cancer. HTC’s own Sis. Lillian DeLardge, a breast cancer survivor, implored women of all ages to be prudent about the seriousness of the disease and to be proactive about having regular check-ups. However, she was not the only walking testimony in the building! Our emcee, First Lady and guest speaker all had survival stories to share, showing each of us the power of God’s common grace in our lives.
Following the presenter, invited guest speaker and First Lady of the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Virginia, Mother Charletta Thomas, took us back to school with some good-ole teaching. Echoing our theme, “Upgrade Your Life: Preparing for the Overflow,” Mother Thomas spoke candidly about what it takes for godly women to be in leadership and how to effectively support our male leaders.
On Sunday morning, Mother Thomas returned and delivered another stellar message, telling us her life testimony and stressing the importance of serving one’s church. With humor and frankness, Mother Thomas held our attention with real life stories about God’s goodness towards her. Following this, she opened the altar and began to minister to us all. Later that evening, our very own First Lady, Mother Vivian Pruitte, brought an insightful message to the church. Using Deuteronomy 8 and Numbers 21, she spoke about how God used the wilderness experience as a way to cause Israel to hunger for His resources and depend on Him. She explained that God uses “wilderness-type” experiences in our lives today as a way to make us hunger for a deeper relationship with Him. With this truth in hand, we ended our Women’s Weekend in grand fashion – with a deeper desire to hunger like Israel did and with a stronger Women’s Department!
Be sure to read the Women's Weekend special edition newsletter, which includes articles and games that will encourage you to Upgrade Your Life and Prepare for the Overflow! Click to Read.