Members of One Family
Reflecting on the International Women Leaders Conference
From April 30 to May 4 this year was the first International Women Leaders Conference in eight years. So much has changed since 2017, but the women in the Sword of the Spirit still love to gather to worship the Lord, listen to his word, and grow together as covenanted sisters and disciples on mission. That is exactly what we experienced in Costa Rica this May. Nearly two hundred women traveled from all over the globe to attend, sixty of them from our North American Region. God worked powerfully in our midst. One profound word that the Lord gave us was that he was “knitting us together,” healing the tears in the body of Christ. Several women wrote to share their reflections with us.
Stella Papa, City on the Hill, Los Angeles
I’m so thankful to the Lord for the chance to attend the International Women’s Leaders Conference in Costa Rica. There were so many special moments that touched me:
Meeting sisters from all over the world was such a blessing. Everyone was so warm, always smiling, and full of joy—it felt like we were one big family. Our worship times really moved me. You could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, and how focused everyone was on God. The sisters surrendered their concerns to the Lord and worshiped so freely, just lifting up their hearts in praise. It was beautiful.
The theme—Renew, Restore, Revive—couldn’t have been more perfect. It felt like exactly what we all needed in this season. The Lord strengthened our sense of unity and calling to our mission, and He restored our hope and zeal to serve him.
One of the most powerful parts was when we ministered to one another—praying together, listening to what God wanted to say. A sister even shared a vision with me that really spoke to my heart and confirmed how the Holy Spirit working in me, especially in how I serve my community. I am excited to see the fruit that will grow from our time together!
Christina Buganski, People of Hope, New Jersey
I was privileged to attend the IWLC with five other sisters from the People of Hope. It was a joy to go to such a beautiful place and be together as part of the broader Sword of the Spirit. We were so grateful for the inspiring meditations, talks, and workshops. They refreshed us in our calling and in our service. Thank you to Rosemary and the other women who planned and spoke and served us in so many ways.
I personally was inspired by our times of corporate worship. Praising the Lord and singing together in Spanish and English is so unifying! It is a unique gift from then Lord to share this life with so many communities in different cultures around the world! Meeting new sisters and reconnecting with others was a special gift to me during our time together. These relationships are a treasure. I feel truly blessed and filled with gratitude to live this call to community with so many holy men and women.
Sarah Williamson, Light of Christ, Grand Rapids
Within the Sword of the Spirit, we talk about being "a part and not the whole." It's a sentence from our prophetic calling, reminding us that we are not all that God is doing through his people, not the only way to live as radical disciples and build his kingdom in this world. It’s a reminder that I find both humbling and a relief—we're not the only thing going and we don't have to do it all. Attending the International Women's Leaders Conference, I experienced this reality in a different way within our Sword of the Spirit network: we here in the North American Region are a part and not the whole of what God is doing in the Sword of the Spirit. And what a gift that is!
Sometimes the challenges that we face in our local realities—both internal challenges of living our community life together well and the external challenges of the surrounding culture--can loom so large. But I was encouraged and refreshed by getting a glimpse of our wider international reality, and my perspective broadened beyond what I see day to day. God is at work in so many different ways across the Sword of the Spirit around the world.
It was a gift to share meals, conversations, and prayer with women from Belgium, Ireland, Israel, Costa Rica, the Philippines (to name a few) and to hear stories of God at work in their communities and countries. And at the same time, while experiencing the grace of the diversity of countries, cultures, and languages beyond my own and the perspective they bring, being a part of an international gathering also brought home the unity that we share: Our shared call to community, a shared commitment to discipleship, a shared mission to the world. We worshiped together, singing the same songs in both Spanish and in English, side by side, knowing deeply that we worship our one holy God in unity as sisters in Christ.
