The last time Moms in Prayer International met at Ridgecrest Conference Center was in 1999 – the year I was born. 25 years later, there I was, getting to participate in the 40th Anniversary Event at the same location.
Before the event, I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around the enormity of it. I work full-time in the Events department at headquarters, and had spent countless hours organizing the details for that weekend. Still, I couldn’t have imagined the victories that Jesus would reveal there.
The day before the event began, I got the opportunity to meet Annette Frisby, an Account Manager at Ridgecrest. I had seen Annette on Zoom, heard her voice on the phone, and read her words in emails, but that was the first time I got to hug her.
Through tears, she told Angela Quisumbing (our Events Manager) and me how healing it was for our ministry to be on Ridgecrest’s campus. We’d all expected to be together in October 2024. Instead, Ridgecrest experienced unimaginable devastation and loss.
Back in 1999, the Moms in Prayer 15th Anniversary Event was Annette’s very first event at Ridgecrest. And now, after floods and fires, we were returning. Annette saw our arrival as a full circle moment, as an undeniable signpost of God’s faithfulness and victory.
This theme continued with the Meet & Greet, which kicked off the celebration of the 40th anniversary. Our board members, global directors, and founder (Fern Nichols) each briefly spoke about how God works in their personal lives and areas of influence.
Attendees also had time to mingle, reunite with old friends, and meet new ones. One attendee from Finland shared this:
“I could feel and see with my own eyes how prayer connects women around the world. There was a strong sense of [the] Holy Spirit and that’s why it was so easy to talk and laugh with women I had never met before. Jesus was given all the glory in the event and that is so important. Meeting and listening to the humble MIP leaders was also important for me personally. You could really see that ‘a tree is known by its fruit.’ I could see good fruit around me.”
While many sweet sisters were present at the 40th, they were only a fraction of the praying moms around the world. As Fern shared in a video on the history of the ministry, “the hearts of moms beat the same all around the world.”
Ultimately, she reminded us, the story of how the ministry was founded is His story. He was, is, and will always be the author and perfecter of our faith. Only He, through the power of the Holy Spirit, could unite moms in over 150 countries through prayer for their children and schools.
During this particular event, we were blessed to have Country Coordinators from 26 of those countries with us.
As uncomfortable as it may be, there’s a reason MIP groups pray out loud, in one accord. During one panel, Sally, Jayme Kirk (40th Event Liaison and soon-to-be North Carolina State Coordinator), and Heidi Fromke (Appalachian Division Coordinator) invited the audience to participate in the 4 Steps of Prayer with them.
The audience became, as Sally said, the biggest Moms in Prayer group in history. In a crowd of hundreds of women, God was praised in different languages by different people with different backgrounds. That auditorium became an echo of the upper room from Acts, right then and there.
I heard one woman say: “I can’t understand Spanish, but I know exactly what’s being said.”
What was being said? Praise. Praise to Jesus for his victory.
It’s especially important to live from Jesus’s victory in light of how much trouble exists in the world.
Vanessa Frazier (South Carolina State Coordinator) works as a public school teacher and was interviewed by Susan Shepherd (USA Country Coordinator) for our second panel of the weekend. Vanessa explained how groups can be specifically praying for teachers, administrators, students, and curriculum. With characteristic conviction and energy, she encouraged attendees to practice confession and pray victoriously.
As I listened to Sally Burke (our president), Cathi Armitage (our Global Department director), and Dannah Gresh (our guest speaker) give their main stage messages, all I could think of was Jesus’s victory.
Sally spoke about her sons’ health issues, which have gone on for decades and continue to drive her toward dependence on God. Cathi called us to confess our self-focused sins and remember that, in Jesus, a finish is a win. Dannah admitted that this past year has been the hardest of her life, but Psalm 30 continues to teach her how to pray.
Dannah shared that she, Sally, and Cathi didn’t intentionally try to align their talks, but the Holy Spirit worked in and through each of them to express a common theme.
What all these messages have in common is suffering. Suffering alongside our Savior.
Jesus’s victory was not and is not a shallow, glamorous one; it was painful, meek, and bloody. Jesus never promises us a painless victory – but he promises us a complete one in him.
Not just me, and not just you. Us.
I couldn’t personally attend all the breakout sessions (that would be a superhuman act), so I invite you to read what some of “us” have to say about those below.
Prodigal: Before, During, and After (with Karla Slonaker and Jaclyn St. John): “I loved being able to hear from both the mom and the daughter. It was encouraging to be able to see how God worked in her life, but also see the struggle.”
“Loved that we were able to pray with another person for our own prodigals. They were graciously short on their talk and allowed us time to talk with God with another woman.”
The State of Our Youth (with Dannah Gresh): “I loved the explanation that tweens need honest relationship and the meat of the Word.”
“I learned about how presence and truth are the most valuable gifts we can give to our kids.”
Embracing Our God-Given Emotions (with Cyndie de Neve): “Wonderfully abundant content! Cyndie is a wonderful teacher and highly engaged. […]It was all so very rich and I look forward to following her research more closely.”
“Cyndie shared very useful and valuable information. I could have listened to her much longer.”
Grandma Love: Remaining Steadfast in Prayer! (with Marcy Russo): “Thank you for helping me see the eternal benefit in my new role as Grammy and the urgent eternal impact of keeping my adult children in contact with their Grandmas before they return to the Lord.”
“Marcy did a great job. I love that the legacy is not us, but Jesus; we are only His vessel.”
Us, Us Plus, Busy Us, Just Us (with Kendra and Roger Rock): “I liked having the unity of both husband and wife there. The most insightful thing they talked about was her reading aloud the letter she wrote to herself when she was 30. That made it well-worth the session.”
“Roger & Kendra were real and personal. They did a great job and addressed issues we all have.”
Two Steps Towards Effectual Fervent Prayers (with Vanessa Frazier): “I came away determined to pray on the spot and grab every opportunity to bring my cares to God.”
“We were given excellent ideas on going deeper in personal prayer!”
Experience His Voice (with Teresa Newcomer): “She was very well prepared. Handout was appreciated. I am eager to try what she suggested.”
“The term ‘quiet time’ can seem so vague and frustrating sometimes. Teresa did an excellent job of really breaking down what intimate time with God looks like.”
Follow the Leader-Learning to Shepherd Your Flock as a Group Leader (with Susan Shepherd and Robin Elliott): “They shared their own personal experiences and answered questions helpfully. This was motivating!”
Follow the Leader-Learning to Shepherd Your Flock as an Area or Regional Coordinator (with Susan Shepherd and Robin Elliott): “I attended the one for ACs and RCs, even though I am not one. [This session confirmed that] I’m interested in becoming an AC and have since reached out to my State Coordinator.”
After attending breakout sessions and eating dinner, attendees returned to the auditorium for worship. Worship was truly the through line of this entire event; this all culminated in the worship team singing “The Blessing” as a benediction over all of us.
Together, we were blessed by these words:
May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children
May His presence go before you
And behind you and beside you
All around you and within you
He is with you, He is with you
In the morning, in the evening
In your coming, and your going
In your weeping, and rejoicing
He is for you, He is for You
I encourage you to read those words, slowly, meditatively. Then re-read them. Let God overwhelm you with his love.
One woman told me that her husband, normally stoic, wept as he received those words. Multiple people shared that they experienced a taste of what heaven must be like.
The victorious One is for us. What could be better?
Another way we experience tastes of heaven on Earth is through answered prayers. I’d like to share some from those who participated in the event.
Disclaimer: These testimonies have been edited for the sake of clarity and brevity.
Susan Tou (Director of Communications):
“[I saw] how God is helping us as a global ministry be found faithful, kept pure, set apart and perfectly unified worldwide. [That is what we pray for every Tuesday as headquarters staff!]”
Teresa Newcomer (Prayer Committee Chair):
“Nine of us on the prayer team were praying at 11 am before registration. One woman said that we needed to pray for lost luggage from the international flights. As we started to pray, she got a call to go to the airport to get the luggage.”
Cathi Armitage (Director of Global Ministry):
“All international leaders arrived under incredible warfare. Flights cancelled, diverted and delayed. But they got there! During the event, the rainy weather that was all around the area did not hit Ridgecrest. We had beautiful days. There was rain before and after the event!”
Anonymous Attendee from Western North Carolina:
“It was incredible to have so much joy and celebration in our area that has endured such loss and devastation. Knowing our global sisters in Christ were keeping us in prayer was so appreciated.”
Anonymous Attendee:
“Este evento superó mis expectativas por algo especial que pude sentir y fue la presencia de Dios, desde que entraba a esa auditorio se sentía esa presencia tan especial que no podía parar de llorar, sobretodo en el momento de alabanza y adoración, excelente Dios bendiga grandemente a todo el equipo de madres en oración y les de sabiduría para seguir ganando almas para Cristo.”
TRANSLATION: “This event exceeded my expectations because of something special that I could feel, and that was the presence of God. From the moment I entered the auditorium, I felt that special presence and I couldn’t stop crying, especially during the moments of praise and worship. Excellent. May God greatly bless the entire team of Moms in Prayer and give them wisdom to continue winning souls for Christ.”
Anonymous Attendee:
“I just returned from a mission trip to Uganda with a very heavy heart for a gentleman I met there. He is a sweet and humble believer and shared how having a child (6 years old) with a painful chronic illness (sickle cell anemia – excruciatingly painful and deadly) has made him a better father and how visiting people in the hospital after church on Sundays has made him see how blessed he is. He also shared he lost 2 brothers to this disease at a young age.
“To me, he is not blessed. Watching his son suffer, experiencing financial poverty and medical help poverty and having no resources for help that he is aware of – is not blessed. But he is blessed by God.
“I was thrilled to meet the country coordinator from Uganda and share his story with her. She gave me her phone number to share with him so his wife can become involved in a MIP group.”
Anonymous Attendee:
“Little did I know that God would not only expand my perspective on MIP, but also put a vision and desire in my heart to start a group in the Philippines! I’m going to the Philippines in 2 weeks! What perfect timing!”
Anonymous Attendee from New York:
“I was very blessed to meet NY’s sister country representatives from Italy: the Italy Country Coordinator (Sara Guiati) and an RC (Verena Kardeli).”
Anonymous Meet and Greet Volunteer:
“I witnessed a mom was downcast at the beginning, but the Lord showed her His presence and her countenance did a 180. She was smiling from ear to ear and had a pep in her step by the end of Friday night that continued through all of Saturday and I am sure has not faded.
“[She was sitting] on a bench with a backpack on it and leafing through her program. I came over and asked her a few friendly questions. A few minutes later, the owner of the backpack came over to retrieve it. I noticed that both of their tags said they were from the same city, though they had never met before.
“The mom on the bench was a widow of 4 months and felt the Lord calling her to care for single moms. The owner of the backpack is a single mom who just heard about MIP two months ago and had not been able to find a prayer partner yet. Had the conference happened in October, neither one of these women would have been in attendance. Needless to say, they exchanged phone numbers and committed to staying together during the whole conference and beyond!”
To all who came: thank you. To all who are reading this blog post, whether or not you came: thank you. We are so grateful for you.
Lord, your victory endures through the generations. We ask for grace to confess our sins and to humble ourselves. We thank you for your faithful, everlasting love. We ache to know you more – to see your face, to glimpse your glory.
Amen.
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Karis Cho currently serves as the Events Communication Specialist at Moms in Prayer HQ – but before that, she was (and still is) a prayed-for daughter and granddaughter. She’s not yet a mom, but she has many younger sisters through her work as a youth group leader. Karis believes that Gen Z has many gifts to offer the church – a hunger for authenticity and a refusal to accept anything less than the presence of Jesus among them. She meets with other young adults weekly to pray that we will see the youngest among us inviting Jesus to build His kingdom in our schools, neighborhoods, and countries.