Dwell: A Place to Be at Home
On a Thursday at MACC, more than 250 women attend the morning and evening Women’s Bible Study sessions. Each week, women carve out the time from their busy schedules to gather together in the pursuit of following after Jesus. Community is formed as women sit together and unpack God’s Word. Relationships are strengthened as needs are brought before God in prayer. Friendships are made over coffee and muffins, and laughter is shared while breaking bread at dinner.
For the women, Bible Study at MACC is more than just a time to hear a biblical teaching and discuss questions in small groups. It’s a place for each woman to feel comfortable and at home in our church, said Anita Anderson, the ministry’s co-director. It’s a place where women become friends, then family.
Anita, along with her co-director Pam Casey, stepped into the roles this past fall when the Lord unexpectedly dropped the opportunity in their laps. Even though leadership in the ministry wasn’t something they were seeking, both felt impressed upon their hearts to say “yes.”
“Anita pitched a vision,” said Pam. “God used her for me to see His plan for this season of my life.”
Anita and Pam have been close friends for years and are aligned in their love for the Lord, their wacky humor, supportive families, and vision for MACC’s Women’s Ministry.
“We work unbelievably great together, even when one of us is cranky,” said Anita. “We are real with each other, and we encourage each other. I would do anything with her.”
They admit that they are feeling the stretch in these newfound roles of leadership but believe God shows up in our discomfort. We are feeling that stretchy discomfort but also God’s leading, said Anita.
Anita and Pam have been a part of the MACC family since the beginning, over 20 years ago. Anita is married to Curt and has two daughters, one son, a son-in-law, and a new daughter-in-law as of this August. Pam is married to Mike and has four grown kids, two daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, and 10 grandkids.
“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
The pair chose the word “Dwell,” to speak into the direction of the ministry, based off Ephesians 2:22, “And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
“We wanted to choose a word and a verse to give us a purpose, a passion, and instruction from God’s Word,” said Anita.
“Dwell is such a woman’s word,” said Anita. “Dwell represents home, security, and rootedness. Women are all about that. We crave it, and we are good at making it happen.”
Our hope for the ministry is that women are united upon the foundation of Jesus to serve one another and be a place where God is present, said Pam.
“God goes a step further when he puts us together in community,” said Anita. “He intends for us to grow in Christ together, to be under construction together, and to actually become a dwelling place where God lives.”
Thursday Bible studies is where the vision behind “Dwell” comes to life. Anita and Pam are grateful for the dedicated women who serve weekly as the hands and feet of the ministry, organizing the study, teaching the sessions, and leading the small groups. Throughout the year, small groups really become a lifeline for the women. It’s a place to belong, to be known, to be prayed for, and to walk through life’s ups and downs together.
“Women are coming together, eager to hear and follow God’s Word,” said Anita.
Currently, women are studying the letters of 1, 2, and 3 John. Each week, women spend time on their own studying the scripture passage that will be taught on by one of the women from MACC. This year’s homework has featured the inductive method of studying the Bible. Instead of the personal study time being question-led, women are led by the Holy Spirit in choosing a verse or two on their own to dig into deeper. Women are encouraged to use cross references, commentaries, and multiple Bible translations to further their understanding. Doing word studies or summarizing a passage in their own words are just a few of the tools women are using to truly personalize their time in the Word of God. The team has received positive feedback on this newly taught method of studying the Bible.
“Many have taken their personal Bible study to a new level,” said Pam.
Women are making their home in the Word, dwelling in God’s presence, and abiding in His love, and the ministry is seeing the fruit of this. Attendance continues to grow throughout the year.
“The door is always open, and there’s always a seat waiting for someone new to join.”
“The door is always open,” said Pam, “and there’s always a seat waiting for someone new to join.”
Pam recalled a woman, who started attending the study this year, share that it is refreshing to be a part of a Bible study group that exhibits such a spirit of peace and has no contention. She mentioned she had been to many studies in her years and her experience at MACC was notably different.
The growth of the ministry is evidence of a commitment to do life together and the understanding that we need each other in this journey of faith. The annual Christmas Dinner was attended by close to 400 women, and the recent Don’t Hog Your Journey event had 120 in attendance.
Don’t Hog Your Journey is a special evening of testimonies and worship. Each believer in Christ has a unique testimony, and this event empowers women to share their own stories. As 1 Peter 3:15 encourages us to always be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have, we need to share our stories, said Anita.
Hearing testimonies allows you to see yourself in another’s journey and be encouraged and validated in your own, said Pam.
Women were equipped with practical tips on how to write out their stories, recalling just where God has shown himself through circumstances and other people.
“Our testimony doesn’t stop when you receive Christ,” said Anita. “It continues as He grows and molds us.”
Anita and Pam have seen God working as they reflect back on the year. A woman that attended Don’t Hog Your Journey, who was a last-minute signup, was struggling with serious health issues.
“Was it a coincidence that one of the testimonies spoke directly to God’s healing? No, it was not,” noted Anita. She recalled how God was kind to provide a woman healed from the same illness 15 years prior to come alongside her. At the end of the evening, several women surrounded this sister in prayer.
“This is nothing that we could have planned,” said Anita, “but only something God could orchestrate.”
Pam reflected on the written notes of gratitude the ministry receives. One woman shared how the ministry has been a tremendous blessing to her after recently losing her husband. The many instances of kindness and blessings have brightened her dark days.
As they look to the future, Jesus will remain the center of all they do, said Pam. “We don’t want to get ahead or lag behind what He has for this ministry.”
The team is trying something new and different this spring by hosting a dinner picnic event on Monday, May 5, starting at 6:30 p.m. This event will be indoor and outdoor, as the newly remodeled gathering room has garage doors that open up to a lawn area. The event will feature lawn and table games, pickleball, and journal making. The speaker for the evening will be Sara Wolf. This rain-or-shine event will be a casual evening for women to connect and be refreshed, mind, body, and soul.
Anita and Pam are looking to grow the leadership team and are ready to provide women with the opportunity to share their ideas and talents. They are looking for more ways to facilitate women gathering around conversations that address topics and issues from a biblical perspective. Planning a women’s retreat may also be on the horizon for the team.
“Our team is truly a picture of using our gifts to serve,” said Anita. “We rely on our team for everything—from prayer, to brainstorming, to technical skills, to worship, to decor, to content creation—you name it!”
As the team plans for the future, they are committed to their vision, while getting more women connected in Bible study and coming alongside them as they deepen their relationship with Jesus.
If you are interested in learning more about MACC’s Women’s Ministry, email Anita and Pam at women@themacc.org.
Written by Lydia MacBride
Photos by Kelly Haynes