Hopefully, you’ve heard about The OneDay Experience for Women at IBC happening April 28. What IS a OneDay Experience, you ask? Is it a class? A conference? A cakewalk? We chatted with Amy Aupperlee, Ministry Coordinator for Women at IBC, to get the scoop.
OneDay at IBC will be held from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at IBC. Can you give us a quick breakdown of the day’s schedule?
(Have I told you how excited I am about this? It’s going to be an incredible time together!) This is a great question – considering that OneDay is a brand new event, women can expect the following:
In the morning, we will have two main sessions with the gifted and divinely-ordained Jo Saxton, author of “The Dream of You.” After a lunch break and some discussion/reflection times, we are offering two workshop sessions, and then closing with Jo again.
We are offering four different workshops and women get to pick two to attend. And did we mention that the anointed Crystal Elwell and her band will be leading us in worship throughout the day?
We’d love to hear the vision behind a one-day experience for women. Everybody’s busy and this format seems more accessible than a traditional women’s retreat. Is that the idea?
You’re exactly right. In the last few years, we watched women find it increasingly more difficult to get away for a couple of days. OneDay gives women the opportunity to still unplug from the busy, but do it in a more manageable way.
The tagline for the event is “Know. Love. Go.” — knowing God, loving others, and going to make missionary disciples. What felt need among women at IBC does this address?
Throughout the year and through various opportunities, Women at IBC offers Bible study and other events to learn about and study God’s Word, and we often encourage women to go out and take next steps. However, we haven’t been as adequate in training them for those practical next steps.
OneDay is not just a conference — it is a hands-on experience. Jo Saxton will be walking us through the steps of our calling, and our phenomenal workshop speakers will spend time preparing us for those next steps to which we are called. OneDay is a day to break down barriers of disobedience and prepare to go confidently towards our role as missionary disciples.
Fill in the blank: women will leave the One Day Experience saying to themselves, “ ____________”
“Today was fantastic and refreshing." "I am confident in my calling as a missionary disciple and am now armed with the tools necessary to live out what God has asked me to do." "Time for chips and queso – let’s do this!” (Okay, that’s just what I’ll say, but I bet they’ll have similar feelings of celebration.)
What if I’m new to faith or want to bring someone who is new to the faith? Will I feel overwhelmed?
I don’t know about you, but from the time I was new to the faith, I was excited to start living out my calling — it was thrilling to know that I am finally in a place of meaning, a place of purpose. We all have that desire, no matter if we are new to the faith or veteran Christians. OneDay isn’t about an intellectual, lofty treatise on Godly calling — it’s about knowing confidently that we are to KNOW Christ, LOVE others, and GO out. It can often feel overwhelming to come into a new place with new ideas and new direction, but that’s also why we do it together in community.
There’s an option to extend OneDay into an overnight experience. How does that work?
If you are a woman who needs extra time to unplug, we encourage you to grab a few friends, gather in a friend’s house or hotel room, and purchase a ONEDAY+ kit (available when you register). This kit is designed for four of you to share, and it includes a plan for the evening. Think of it as a retreat-in-a-box. Not only will it have a hilarious game and top-notch snacks (because, hello, girl time!), we are filling each kit with guides for you to walk together through the evening. You’ll have a loosely-designed schedule, along with journal prompts, a devotional, questions to discuss with your friends, and challenges for your next steps. We have taken all of the brainstorming and guesswork out of the evening and you get to enjoy the time with friends, challenging and encouraging one another in your faith. I’ve already booked my hotel with my friends at the NYLO — we can’t wait!
**And bonus! Did you know Jo Saxton will also be speaking on Sunday morning at IBC? After your fun night with friends, come back to IBC for another dose of God’s Word and wisdom from Jo. It's going to be amazing weekend!
Kids+ is available for kids 5th grade and under.