by Stephanie Conkright
On the same day Jill Pearson asked me to write a brief invitation to Renovaré, someone asked me why we call our women’s Bible study Renovaré.
Renovaré, pronounced ren-oh-vahr-ay, is a verb that means to restore to good condition; make new or, as if new again; to reinvigorate. It is derived from the Latin verb ‘novare,’ meaning, “to make new.”
There is surely no better way to be reinvigorated or made new than to be in God’s word. Doing this in the company of others takes this to another level. I have been attending Renovaré, formerly Coffee and Friends, since moving to Rochester in 2008. Sometimes my work schedule required me to attend the evening option, but for the past several years I have been able to attend on Thursday mornings. I am so thankful we have both evening and daytime options and am excited to report that this year we will be piloting Wednesday evenings in addition to our regular Monday evening study.
During the summer, while we take a break from our weekly meetings, I will sometimes do a study on my own, or maybe read a devotional book. I have also enjoyed listening to audio books by Christian authors. I enjoy this practice, and to be honest, I am sometimes ready for a break from having to get my homework done each week during the school year, but I miss the interaction and insights I get from studying with other women on a weekly basis. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us to, “encourage one another and build each other up.” This is what happens at Renovaré. Women in my study group build me up in so many ways; by their prayers, by their perspectives and contributions, by their humor, by their candid sharing of real-life struggles, by keeping me from being lazy and falling behind with my homework, by being there for each other during times of need. I have made so many dear friends at Renovaré that I might never have even encountered elsewhere.
So, I invite you to join us as we kick off a new year on September 12th at Essex Park and then begin our studies on September 19th. Each week we begin with a corporate time of worship which sets the stage for our study of the Word. You won’t want to miss that time. You can find all the dates, times and study options on the Calvary website. Sign up soon as the classes fill up quickly!
And finally, I want to give a big thank you to all the women who make Renovaré happen: worship leaders, coffee makers, greeters, study leaders, childcare workers, custodians. We need you all and are thankful for each of you.
Hoping to see you there!
Stephanie Conkright is wife to Garth and mother to Laura. She left her native England more than 30 years ago, has lived in four countries, and has had at least as many different careers. She enjoys hiking, reading, and reminiscing about her time in different cultures over a proper cup of tea. At Calvary, she is a member of the Women’s Ministry team.