“The Year of Our Harvest!” was the theme of the 2015 Women’s Weekend, which took place July 11-12 – and the women of God enjoyed a great spiritual harvest from the Lord! Under the leadership of First Lady Vivian Pruitte and the Mother’s Board of Holiness Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ, the Women’s Department prepared an event that met both the physical and spiritual needs of God’s children.
Guest speaker, Supervisor Diana Chandler-Banks of the Maryland Central Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the COGIC, brought a mighty Word during the Saturday Tea and Sunday Annual Day service. A simple tea set and a powerful testimony of healing were the tools God gave her to encourage His people.
During the Sunday morning worship service, First Lady Pruitte set the house on fire and spoke about giving God our “first fruits.” Other guests that joined throughout the Weekend included the Tea Mistress of Ceremonies, First Lady Yolinda McCown of Praise Center COGIC, and stroke prevention speaker, Ms. Jessica Silcox of Sentara Hospital in Woodbridge, Virginia.
Ladies from across the country, including North Carolina and Illinois, came to partake in the Weekend activities. With hands uplifted, tears streaming down their faces and voices crying out to God, lives were touched by the presence of the Lord. Below are short testimonies shared by two young women who joined the Weekend:
Sister Dayan Araujo
Macedonia COGIC | Miami, FL
First giving honor and glory to the one and only true and living God,; my redeemer, my strength and my refuge. I've had a spirit-filled weekend celebrating Women's Weekend with Holiness Tabernacle COGIC. Each service, we've had dynamic, powerfully anointed women of God speak.
At the Saturday, Women’s Tea we had State Supervisor Diana Banks who proclaimed to all the ladies, "You Are a Masterpiece." Sunday morning, the fragrance of Holiness Tabernacle, First Lady Vivian Pruitte urged us to give God our first fruits. Not our last or the bottom of the barrel, but our FIRST fruits – our very best because He gave us the best He had! His son, Jesus Christ.
Sunday evening, Mother Banks returned to us and spoke on our due season. Life brings with it changes, transitions and difficulties. And God often uses these experiences to purge us, grow us and make us better. During these times, cast not away therefore your confidence in God. Hold on to His promises. Hold on to your hope in Him – not man, not your intellect – a Holy God who loves each and everyone us.
There was no denying that God's presence was at each and every service. It was phenomenal! After the final service, my spirit felt so full. There's no other way to describe it. During this Women’s Weekend, my God forgave me, restored me, poured out in me and revived me. Have you ever felt free? Have you ever felt spiritually clean? Where you know, that you know, that you know, you're in right standing with God. Because once you repent, there is NO condemnation in God. Man may judge you. But man can't save your soul.
As I prepared for work that next Monday, I was dreading my walk to the bus stop (it gets so humid in the morning), but I was still praising God and giving Him the glory. Don't you know as I started on that long, arduous journey God sent someone to give me a ride! An air conditioned ride! It took everything in me not to start dancing right there beside that person's car! Like the prodigal son's father, God doesn't wait to bless us when we repent. No! He waits and watches for our return and then when we do, He immediately lavishes His love upon us! I am of a royal priesthood; a peculiar people and my Father in Heaven takes care of me. Thank you, Jesus!
Sister Colleen Brown
Holiness Tabernacle COGIC | Woodbridge, VA
The Women's Weekend was one that you had to experience in order to believe the mighty move of God that was apparent throughout this Weekend. Kicking off this extraordinary Weekend was the Women's Tea. If you came to the Tea you were not only fed physically but spirituality as well.
Along with the wonderful food our hospitality team prepared, Mother Diana Banks fed us with the word of God. She brought the message of God to us in such a unique and one of a kind way. She reminded us of the duties each of us women possessed in the kingdom of God. In her message, she used a tea set to compare the women of God.
A tea set has many items, but the two items that Mother Banks pointed out that stuck with me were the salt and sugar containers. She told us that we are the salt of the world and our job is to preserve the people of God with the word of God. She also said that we are the sugar of the earth. As sugar, our job is to add sweetness to the bitter things of the world.
Mother Banks didn't just stop after the word. She prayed for each that wanted prayer – and it wasn't any prayer, but was a prayer straight from God. For the many people asking for prayer, she not only prayed, but had a message from God to them.
In closing, the Women's Tea was not one soon to be forgotten. Many came to the Tea with weights and burdens, and many left delivered and set free. As for myself, I don't think I'll look at a tea set the same ever again.