In October 2022, Aaron Chancy, Mount Carmel church pastor, contacted Kayla Skipper, one of the young people who recently returned to the church, to see if she would be interested in starting a women’s Bible study group. After Chancy mentioned the idea for the Bible study, Skipper revealed that she had an idea for a women’s Bible study several years ago but never acted on it. During the conversation, Chancy and Skipper confirmed how the Holy Spirit had been working over the years to ask Skipper about the Bible study, which reignited her interest and passion for a women’s Bible study.
Brunch N Bible Study is for women aged 21-40 in the Syracuse, New York, area, with a mix of practicing Adventists, former Adventists, and non-Adventists (anyone can attend). With brunch as the backdrop, participants meet once a month to journey through the Bible through discussion and activities and to draw the parallels between the stories and themes and their life experiences as women.
While this focuses on Bible study, Brunch N Bible Study is also a safe space for women to commune, share their struggles, be vulnerable, and build a trusted sisterhood community. In March 2023, the first Brunch N Bible study kicked off. The first meeting was successful, with 15-20 women attending. After brunch, the participants engaged in icebreaker activities and shared heart-to-heart conversations. After the first meeting in March, most women were eager to know when the next one would be and how they could get involved.
By the second meeting in April, women were volunteering their time, wanting to contribute food for brunch and play a more significant role in the topics discussed. Most importantly, they expressed the need for Brunch N Bible Study to continue and saw the value in the fellowship and community it fosters.
Sometimes God plants seeds, and we don’t know when we’ll see the harvest, but His plan is always fulfilled at the right time. Kayla Skipper had no idea that a Bible study she previously thought of would come full circle many years later in this way. With people like Pastor Chancy helping to cultivate those seeds, Brunch N Bible Study has come to fruition and is a blessing to the women involved.
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—Communication staff, Mount Carmel church
