Even before the doors opened at 9.30am on Saturday 23 March there were groups of women gathering outside Eden Baptist Church in the centre of Cambridge for the 2019 Cambridge Women’s Bible Conference.
Tickets for the conference had sold quickly and more than 330 women from over 50 churches across the East Anglia Gospel Partnership (EAGP) region had booked to attend. The conference is organised by an interdenominational group of evangelical women representing a number of churches in and around Cambridge, in association with the EAGP. The aim is to teach, equip, and encourage women to live for Jesus.
Clear and faithful
Carolyn Lacey from Woodgreen Church in Worcester was the main speaker for the day. She delivered three teaching sessions from 1 Peter 1 under the theme ‘Living Hope’. Her first session, entitled ‘Live In Hope’, looked at 1 Peter 1:1-12 and explored being confident in hope because of who Christians are and what they have been given. Lacey clearly and faithfully helped those in attendance to understand the context into which Peter was writing and then helpfully applied it to women in 21st-century life. Her second session, ‘Live Out Our Hope’, from 1 Peter 1:13-21, was interactive with plenty of opportunity to turn to a neighbour and talk through the application questions.
After lunch there was a choice of eight seminars, picking up themes from 1 Peter 1. These covered a wide range of topics from ‘Enjoying God’s word – how to read the Bible for yourself’ to ‘Supporting friends through trials and troubles.’ There were also two specific seminars for pastors’ wives and females aged 14 to 18. Due to the large numbers in attendance some seminars were held at Christchurch Cambridge, just a short walk from Eden Baptist Church.
Renewed by God’s word
The day came to a close with everyone gathered at Eden Baptist Church for a final session, ‘A Call To Love’, from 1 Peter 1:22-2:3. Claire Mason, children’s worker at St Matthew’s Church, Cambridge, said: ‘It was so encouraging to share how God’s word had made us new people and how God’s word changes our behaviour.’
Worship was led by a group of musicians from Eden Baptist Church. There was a prayer ministry team available throughout the day and a bookstall provided by 10ofthose. It is hoped that another conference will be held in Spring 2020. More details will be available on the EAGP website in due course.
