Several women of our church joined together last weekend at the Bishop Booth Center in Burlington for a time of retreat and renewal. This retreat was specifically for the women of Faith UMC and the focus was on life's passages. Women from several different generations shared laughter, wisdom and guidance with each other. We also created this life-loom weaving representing the different passages we have experienced. Our weekend flowed from inward reflection to outward reaching to upward devotion.

The retreat itself was a wonderful blessing. (Thanks to all who worked so hard to organize, plan and bring it to fruition!) One of the best parts of it for me was being together in a different way. It was great to be interacting outside of the church building and church meetings and really getting to know each other in a new environment. The retreat setting fostered a deeper kind of sharing among new friends and old.

The author of Acts described the early Christians in this way: "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Are there things we can do (continue to do) to build our fellowship together as believers? Are there additional steps we can take or opportunities we can provide that will help us grow in our inward, outward and upward reaching faith?