A Message from Kathi Weaver, Co-Founder
God works in many ways, mysterious to me, to accomplish His purposes. Women's Advance Ministries was part of a plan that He began to establish generations ago. To think that He included me way back then is astounding. I Would never have chosen me. But, He did, "God is God and I am not" (Steven Curtis Chapman)...I dare not question His judgment.
Many years ago my great-grandmother, Ada P. Elkin, purchased some natural gas wells. When she died, they passed to my mom with the stipulation that she could never sell them. God had Ada P, make this stipulation for a reason. He knew that without it, my mom would've sold her shares and my one-sixth share(I have five brothers) of the wells would never have come to me when my mother died.
When I began getting the dividends from these wells, I was pleasantly surprised. They didn't amount to much, so I just put them in a savings account as they came in. Somewhere along the line, I looked into that account and realized a tidy sum had accumulated. My Husband Wayne had told me that it was my money to do whatever I wanted with it. Well... that certainly left the doors wide open! I made some unwise choices, before I began to seriously consider what I should do with my accumulating wealth. I remember thinking how great it would be to throw a big party for God. Guess I wasn't thinking too seriously after all!
My husband Wayne, and I went on a vacation to the Stonecroft Conference Center just outside of Branson, Missouri. We had a wonderful time. The speakers, Chris Tomlin, and his wife Bonnie, were a blessing-especially Bonnie. One morning as we were sitting in the chapel waiting for Bonnie to speak, God spoke to me. Bonnie was sitting in the front pew, head bowed, either praying or checking her notes, when God said, "this woman has to come to Northern California." It wasn't to my ears he spoke, but to my mind and my heart. "Okay" my mind replied, "I'll ask her...!"
I caught up with Bonnie as she was leaving the auditorium after the morning session. I related to her what God had told me. Her answer was "Yes" but she didn't know when. She didn't even have her engagement book with her, so she gave me her phone number and told me to call her. She added that raising their two boys and being involved in ministry allowed her to speak only once a month- and it would be about two years before she could make it. I remember answering that that would be fine; it would probably take that long for God to get me ready. I did not realize how prophetic that statement was. I did begin to think that maybe it was party time after all.
Upon returning home, I shared all this with Wayne. I was a little apprenhensive because he more often than not didn't share my visionary enthusiasm. To my surprise, he was totally supportive of the whole idea...if this was something God had said to do, we better do it! I called Bonnie shortly thereafter. The next available date was January 1999. We scheduled her to come and speak on the last weekend of the month. Later I remember thinking how could I possibly have scheduled her to fly out of Denver, Colorado in the dead of winter? But, it was settled, she was coming in just a little over two years. God is in control...
During that interval other things in life got busy and though I didn't forget that Bonnie was coming, other commitments pushed thoughts of her coming to the back burner. Always simmering, I'd stir the pot every once in a while when an idea struck me. Two years is a long time and i'd been right. It took all that time for God to get me where he wanted me to be in regards to Women's Advance.
First of all, Joyce Meyer was having an event she called a Women's Advance. When I heard her say those words, they just hit me in the heart. I wrote her explaining what was happening here and asked her if I could use "Women's Advance" for the event I was planning in Northern California. I didn't hear from her, so I wrote her again saying since I hadn't heard from her I was assuming that it would be okay to use the name. I've never heard from her on this topic and, as far as I know, she's never had another event called Women's Advance. God is in control...
And then, where to have it? I was involved with another group at the time, in leadership and as a speaker. Every year, most of those involved would get together at a Christian conference center in the next county. This would be a perfect place for the 1999 Women's Advance! I toured the facilities with the center director; he gave me a contract; I read it; signed it and mailed it back to him with a $500.00 deposit. Things were moving right along. God is in control...
It was moving toward the end of 1998. My good friend, Rose, was ever by my side ready to help however she could. Brochures had been made up and mailed out to various churches listed in the phone book. The speaker was coming. The location was secured. A church responded- their ladies were coming; they'd always wanted to see the inside of that conference center; their deposits were enclosed. Oh yes, God is in control...
Then------Nothing! Absolutely nothing. Some people signed up for scholarships. Those who helped, and would be helping to get things done would, of course, be coming at no charge. Nothing went on for quite a while and finally Rose could contain herself no longer. "Kathi" she said, as we were crossing a parking lot to the car. "Kathi, don't you think we need to do something. Nobody's coming and aren't you going to owe the conference center some money?" Her urgencey hit me. Yes, I would owe them money. As I thought about it, I realized that the contract I'd signed guaranteed a certain number of overnight guests. Rose helped me to see that at the rate things were going, I'd owe them, oh WOW! I'd owe them around $5000.00!!! Standing there in the parking lot my body felt ice cold, and it wasn't beacause of the weather. As Rose and I talked it hit me that I'd be much better off taking the loss of my $500.00 deposit. But, did it mean that the party was over before it began? Oh yes, I know God is in control...
It must've been that night, and the next night, that I was up until the wee hours of the morning with pen and paper in hand as God and I talked. With a little over two weeks to go until the event, what was I to do. I really thought I'd been doing what He wanted done, but obviously not, because it wasn't working and Gods' plans work! Oh God, what am I to do; what do you want me to do? It has to be all of You and none of me; what do want me to do?
After two nights of "conversation" I had God's plan for the 1999 Women's Advance. I'd been taking lots of notes and this basically is what I came up with;
God's List For Kathi
1. You're right. It's better to lose $500.00 than to owe $5000.00. Cancel the Conference center.
2. Ask your church if they'll let you have it there.
3. Contact a local restaurant -caterer- Julianna's about catering the food.
4. Contact some local motels for special rates.
5. Listen to what Bonnie's been telling you about the time frame- only one night(Friday) and get out early enough so the ladies can get home to their families on Saturday night.
6. Keep the charge as low as you can but don't take any money until they get to the church.
7. Write up a new brochure with all this new information and mail them out- DO IT NOW!
So I did. Agape Bible Church said of course I could have it there. Julianna's was pleased to work with me. Those motels asked welcomed the business. The brochures were worked up and mailed out. I called the conference center and talked to the director. He understood and felt terrible about taking the $500.00 but it was part of the contractual agreement. I told him I understood and he shouldn't worry. God is in control...
Oh yes, He is! How do I know? Not just because the Bible tells me so. I know because I've experienced the evidence of the power of His control. Within two weeks, He had 130 ladies registered for the 1999 Women's Advance. It was exciting to stand back and watch Him work.
He put together His program for each session, giving me the idea of opening up each one with people sharing an outreach idea- now we have the ministry faire. He's ministering to us showing us how to minister to one another. He showed me how to set up every nook and cranny of the building so all the ladies could eat by having two seperate lunch seatings. Now we have the multi-purpose building and we can all eat at the same time. Our Special project in 1999 and for a few years was Slavic Gospel Association- Russia and its surrounding countries' women's ministries and children's orphanages. A couple years ago it was Siskiyou Couty- Our Samaria. We have worked with Voice of the Martyrs- North Korea and China and W.E.G.O.(Worldwide Evangelical Gospel Outreach) and Center For Life Choices (Kelseyville).
We are having a party. When God gives a party, you don't want to miss it! He took Ada P's gas wells and He's using them for His glory and honor. He saw to it that enough money was set aside to host the 1999 Women's Advance. Since then, it has been a self-supporting ministry. God's party just goes on and on and on.
Women's Advance is in the fourteenth year. Fourteen years... time flies when you're having fun. Of course, with God, there is no time; it's always now. Oh, won't that be grand. In heaven, there's no time so it will be impossible for me to procrastinate. Oh yes, God is in control!