Women of Faith Coming
to St. Louis August 4-5, 2006

By Jim Day

What do more than three million women have in common? The answer is Women of Faith!

Dallas-based Women of Faith is America’s largest women’s conference and on August 4 & 5 thousands of women will gather at the Savvis Center for the 2006 Contagious Joy Conference! Each year Women of Faith hosts as many as 30 conferences, selling out arenas all over the country from The Pond in Anaheim to the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. Two-thousand and six marks a new decade for Women of Faith as it enters its 11th year stronger than ever.

“This year we were close to selling out eight of our conferences before the season even started,” said Mary Graham, president of Women of Faith conferences. “The response from our attendees has been so overwhelming and exciting.”

As Women of Faith enters a new era many are asking: what is it about Women of Faith that draws so many women - and why do they keep coming back? Perhaps it’s the community of belonging these women feel when they arrive. “It’s a relief to walk into the Women of Faith arena and feel I’m not alone, that the stress I face on a daily basis, whether it be at work or in the home, is not uncommon to most women around me,” said Lynda Parker, a Las Vegas Women of Faith attendee.

Maybe women flock to the conference to find relief and encouragement for the unique burdens they encounter as women. “Most women are overworked, overextended and underappreciated,” said Graham. “Our conferences are a time where women can enjoy a weekend away with their girlfriends from whatever causes them stress.”

Possibly it’s the message of real faith and friendship these women hear. Through tears and laughter, the Women of Faith core speakers and guest artists share messages of hope and encouragement with women all over the country. Just like the hit TV show Friends, these speakers work as a team seven months of the year, but still remain close companions in the off-season. In fact, the speakers all live in the community of Dallas, TX.

“I love living close enough to walk to each one of my dearest friends’ homes and to Starbuck’s in a few short minutes,” quips Women of Faith core speaker, Luci Swindoll.
The core speakers: Sheila Walsh, Marilyn Meberg, Patsy Clairmont, Thelma Wells, and Luci Swindoll bring their message home in authentic ways, baring their souls to arenas full of women all over the country. “I had heard about the conferences for several years and my church usually sent a large group each year, but I had resisted because I thought it would be too ‘prissy’ for me,” said Marcia Stanley, an attendee from Haverhill, MA. “Boy was I wrong. The speakers, I learned, were women of grit, integrity and edgy humor. Real women I could relate to, not country club types with no clue about the deep tough stuff of life.”

What exactly do the speakers share at the conferences that make such an impact on the lives of millions of women? The Women of Faith speakers share their lives – their hurts, struggles and joys – and women identify with them.

At the conference women will hear the message of singer/songwriter Sheila Walsh, a former host of The 700 Club, who speaks openly and candidly about her battle with depression.

Marilyn Meberg, though she suffered through the death of her husband and her daughter’s rape, has never detoured from the ultimate message that a woman can live in the ashes of pain and loss.

Although humor is her strong suit now, Patsy Clairmont shares her battle with agoraphobia, exposing the all-too-familiar fear women feel.

Now the president of her own company, Women of God Ministries, Thelma Wells brings women through her story from destitution to dignified hope.

And finally, Luci Swindoll, a former Mobil Company executive and opera singer who has visited seven continents at her current age of 73, shows women how to add a little adventure in life.

Perhaps there isn’t one simple answer as to why women have continued to come to Women of Faith over the past 10 years. Whether or not their reasons for coming are the same, over three million women share one thing in common – they have all experienced Women of Faith and for many of them life will never be the same.

As Women of Faith begins a new decade with the 2006 Contagious Joy Conference, one thing is certain – things aren’t slowing down anytime soon! This year, Women of Faith will host 28 conferences in the United States and Canada.

Women of Faith’s 2006 Contagious Joy Conference will be in St. Louis at the Savvis Center on August 4 & 5, 2006. The conference will feature special guests Anita Renfroe, Natalie Grant, Sherri Shepherd, and Donna VanLiere. On Friday, August 4th the conference will begin at 7 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. On Saturday, August 5th the conference will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. Over 11,000 women are already registered but seats are still available. Price is $65 for individuals and $55 for groups of 10 or more. Women of Faith is offering a $10 discount to readers of the MetroVoice! To register call 888-49-FAITH and mention the St. Louis MetroVoice newspaper.