CONTRIBUTED BY
CHURCH EMERGE
LAGRANGE, GA —
Church Emerge Outreach Ministries and The Christian Social Group, Woman Emerge, wrapped up the third year of The Strength of a Woman Conference this past Saturday in LaGrange, Georgia. Multiple people walked away with homeowner down payment assistance, scholarships and giveaways totaling close to $30,000 is cash resources. The empowerment event is most commonly known in local communities as The S.O.W Sista Gathering. Growing in popularity because of its wealth of information, multifaceted panels and generous giveaways in cash prizes and resources, the conference was opened this year to not only women, but to the entire family. Men, women, boys, girls and families filled the room at the Great Wolf Lodge — over 200 strong.
One of the many highlights of the event was a mother of five who received one of the last tickets to the event because another attendee could not attend due to an unexpected obligation but didn’t want the ticket to go to waste. So, she reached out wanting to bless someone else to come in her place.
Local East Alabama resident Shae Patrick was the recipient of the ticket — and in less than four hours her life instantly changed forever. Just as she was walking out to leave, her name was called, announcing that she was one of the winners of the Real Estate Scholarships sponsored by The Grace Group, owned by Valrica Grace.
When Patrick was asked by conference host Denise Mosley how she felt about walking away from the event with the scholarship, she gave a peek into her life and why this was about more than her just winning a prize. In fact, she said, it was an answered prayer.
“I recently moved to Kentucky after my husband passed,” Patrick said. “I wanted to be a broker, so I was taking accounting classes and started at MLS in Atlanta for my real estate license. My husband died in a car accident, and I stopped everything. I couldn’t go on. I have just been in a horrible place since then. I moved out of state to start a new life, but my father got really sick and it turned bad quickly, so I recently came back. I was out at the hospital with him scrolling on Facebook, and I saw a post about the upcoming SOW 3.0 Conference. I never thought I would win, but then I saw my sister comment on the post asking if there happened to be more tickets, so I decided to ask. My father was released the same day, and I was in the car on the highway when I got a message saying that I could come because I was the recipient of a ticket that was donated. But all the while I was trying to talk myself out of going. I said it is going to be out of the way for me to come back, but something told me don’t decline.
“Two days before, my sister called and said it was time to come back home, and the next morning my father passed. I am a daddy’s girl so this broke me. And if that wasn’t enough — the next morning my husband’s favorite cousin passed. The morning of the conference, I had nothing to wear. I was going through the few clothes I left here because, again, my life was in Kentucky, but nothing worked. Twenty minutes passed and I sat at the end of the bed and said, ‘God, if I’m supposed to go, make a way.’ I thought I had thrown a jumpsuit away thinking I would never have anywhere to wear it, but it was the only thing that did not make it in the trash. I picked it up off the floor and put it on and was surprised it fit because I got it years ago. I put on the only shoes I had (a pair of tennis shoes). And I came to the event and ran into this beautiful lady who gently coaxed me inside. She was wearing a green dress and people knew her, but I was about to turn around as she smiled in my direction, talked to me, got my confidence up and walked me in. Her table was the only vendor table that I went to during the 15 minute vendor break.
“I have prayed for so long for a chance to get my license but something always came up that would turn my world upside down. I have five boys that I am trying to raise and it is hard. I did not know my name was called until I was about to leave — but something told me to go back to the table with the information about scholarships and homeowner down payment assistance. That’s when I found out they were looking for me … I was put in that room at that conference by God with all those amazing people for a reason. I have reached out and started conversations with people I did not know.
“I just finished 21 days of prayer and I called it my Jericho — I don’t know why, I didn’t know walls were more than physical. After I started that prayer, my pastor introduced us to a seven day fast and he called it a Jericho fast. When one of the speakers at the event mentioned Jericho and broke it down, the praise that went through me was so much that I went to the bathroom to get it out. You just don’t know what you have done for me. I just can’t thank you enough.”
Denise Mosley, the conference host and overseer of Church Emerge Outreach Ministries, highlighted the success of the day as well.
“S.O.W. 3.0 is an inspirational and empowering event that seeks to bring people together for a greater purpose,” she said. “Attendees had the opportunity to learn, grow and be inspired by the conference’s diverse and inclusive agenda. It was an event that everyone in the room benefited from. It was an amazing day of blessings, collaboration and connection.”
The main objective of this year’s SOW conference was to offer a unique mix of topics, including: leadership, communication, entrepreneurship and personal development. It also featured a marketplace of vendors and resources to help attendees reach their professional and personal goals. The empowerment event was not only dedicated to creating an inclusive space that encouraged growth for everyone, but the larger mission is always to raise proceeds to contribute to single mothers raising special needs children, and proceeds for other resources for multiple communities. Funding for this mission is always given by generous sponsors like The Grace Group Financial Services, Blessed Realty Group, Woody and Associates, Statewide Mortgage, FNF Ministries, Bell Transport and Logistics, Rough Riches Apparel, My Daughters Corner and more.
This year’s theme was “Unlocking The Keys To Leading”.
Some of the topics that were covered are:
• How to be a Leader In Your Home, Community, Career and Business
• How to Create the Life You Want — General Topics on LIFE issues
• How to Love Yourself and Others: How to Forgive Yourself and Others: General Topics on Relationships
• How to Let Go of the Past and Live in The Present
• How to Manifest Your Dreams: Entrepreneurial Topics
• How to Be Healthy, Wealthy and Wise in Mind, Body and Finances.