Arkansas Ladies' Retreat 2024

By Kelly Williams, President • Ark. WMA

      We are quickly approaching our 2024 Arkansas Ladies’ Retreat, which will be held at Central Baptist College on Sept. 27-28. There is still time to register, but time is short. Register at buytickets.at/arkansaswma/1338636 or call me at (214) 534-9875.

      This year’s theme is “A Lasting Legacy,” and our keynote speaker is Sabrina Clayton. Sabrina is the wife of Dr. Kevin Clayton, who serves as lead pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Fulton, Miss. She will be a blessing to anyone who hears her. Angela Wisely of First Baptist Church in Magnolia and her two “sisters” — Rebecca Matthews Williams and Hillary Franks — will lead our worship. They are always such a blessing and bring us to the throne in worship. Each attendee will get a t-shirt with our new theme, A Lasting Legacy, designed by Jessica Faulkner of CBC.

      Registration is $60, whether or not you are able to come on Friday evening. Starting at 5:30 p.m., the State of Arkansas WMA officers will provide snacks for us. Our fun activity will begin at 6 p.m. and will promote leaving the legacy of our memories by scrapbooking together. Jessica Marker of Flower Mound, Texas (my daughter) will show us how to create wonderful pages of memories. Please bring 10-12 photos of a Christmas with your family, and we will provide you with a kit of supplies.

      If you need a room for Friday night, Comfort Suites in Conway, which was completely renovated recently, is offering us a good deal at $114 per night for a room with two queen beds or one king. You can call them at (501) 329-8548 or register online at choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/EW37N1. The deadline for this rate is Sept. 16. After that, the room rate goes to $144 per night. A full hot breakfast is included in your room rate.

      We will have lunch at the CBC cafeteria prepared by Billie Rodriguez, the head chef at the college. Her food is always amazing, and we will have a full hot meal. We will be hosting a silent auction during lunch, with the funds going to Micheal & Laura Beth Strong, BMA missionaries in Minneapolis, Minn. This couple is serving in a very dark place here in the United States, and we want to encourage and support them.

      If you want to participate, please bring anything to help a family make memories together. For example, perhaps a movie night kit (i.e., popcorn, other snacks, hot cocoa mixes, etc.), a s’mores kit, a scrapbooking starter kit, a cookie-making kit for families to do together or kits for a picnic, camping, game night or lake day. Let your imagination run wild!

      There will be door prizes throughout the day on Saturday. We will also have many items displaying the legacy of the WMA for you to look through. Please come! It is a time to get away for a short time to relax, meet with other ladies and learn more about the legacy of faith.