Holidays: “We women put so much pressure on ourselves” – The Daily Reporter

It’s a welcome break.

In many communities, women gather at Christmas time for meals and festivities.

For many, it’s not just about fun, but also about concentration.

For Judi Walsh, Advent by Candlelight is an opportunity to “spend time focusing on Jesus and the joy we feel in our hearts as we await the birth of our Savior.” The event at New Palestine United Methodist Church includes refreshments, the Christmas story from the Bible and live musical entertainment.

Like many women’s Christmas programs, it is a popular event and registration is closed. But wait – we’ll tell you where to find an event this year (see box with this story) and give you options to consider for next year.

Krysten Whalen said it’s fun to stroll through the tables at a women’s Christmas tea and see the creativity of the women decorating each table – whether they use porcelain dishes or festive paper plates. But what means even more to her about the event at Brookville Road Community Church is the speaker.

“The speaker is always trying to usher in the spirit of Christmas, I feel like… he’s preparing our hearts to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas,” said Whalen, who works with the church’s creative and communications teams. “It’s a time for women to sit down and consciously refresh themselves during the season.”

“We can lose focus on Jesus,” she said, and the event helps women “sit in the presence of Jesus during the Christmas season and get our hearts right.”

Bethany Bruner, women’s ministry director at Brandywine Community Church, said busyness and comparison can weigh on women during the season.

“When it comes to the holidays, we women put so much pressure on ourselves…” Bruner wrote in an email. “Is our house Insta-worthy? Is our spreadsheet Pinterest-worthy? When the real question we should be asking ourselves is: Have I made room for JESUS ​​in my home, in my calendar, and in my heart?”

For this reason, the motto of the quarterly evening of the women’s community in the church is “Prepare Him Room”. It alludes to a lyric in the Christmas carol “Joy to the World”: “Every heart makes room for him.”

Therefore, “we do this with the intention that IMMANUEL, Jesus, God with us, is the WHY behind all of this,” Bruner wrote. “Swap the ‘hurry and scurry’ for ‘wait and still.'” Space is limited, but women can still register on Brandywine’s website, brandywinechurch.org/events.

There are also quarterly special events for women at New Palestine Bible Church, including a Christmas brunch in December. It’s a pitch-in brunch with a quick message and an exchange of ornaments. The more sounds and lights emanating from the ornament, the better.

“It’s really fun — a lot of fun,” said Nancy DeLivron, women’s ministry director for the church’s Sisters of Strength. But it is part of a variety of women’s events throughout the year. So while brunch is full, there are other ways to socialize, like a sewing group or weekly Bible studies in the morning or evening. Women can sign up online to learn more about the plugin.

“Those are even better than the fun stuff to me,” DeLivron said. “…women enjoy getting together. … They talk about their children and things that happen in their families. Women just enjoy laughing and having fun together.”

FIND AN EVENT

Are you looking for a place to enjoy and reflect on Christmas with other women? Here are some options.

Candlelight Advent at Mercy Road Church Northeast — December 5, 7-8:30 p.m. Author Tasha Jun will discuss “Waiting in the Dark.” This is a free event, but registration is required.

Prepare a room for him at the Brandywine Community Church — December 6, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Space is limited, but women can still register at brandywinechurch.org/events.