Events

Thousands flock to Women of Faith conference

Posted: Apr 9, 2010 5:45 PM by Angela Douglas
Updated: Apr 9, 2010 5:45 PM

BILLINGS - It's a weekend for the ladies.

Thousands of women from around the state are gathering at Metra Park this weekend to learn about faith and celebrate life.

The 2010 nationwide Women of Faith tour kicked off Friday morning in the Magic City.

While many women are all about the "R&R", this event throws in a few more. Recharge, rejoice, reconnect, and revitalize.

"Times are hard right now," explains Women of Faith Vice President of Communications, Leslie Nunn Reed. "We want to be able to offer encouragement, we want to offer support, and we find that when women come together in an arena, even right next to people they may not have met before, there's a sense of, 'We're in this together and we're here to support each other and encourage each other.'"

Kimberly Ficek, of Billings, has attended the Women of Faith conference four times.

"We all can lay our burdens here and somehow we get renewed to be a better person or live a better life," says Ficek.

Meanwhile, Alane Stabler of Miles City drove a bus load of ladies from her church to the event. This is her second time attending the event.

"I think it's the energy," Stabler says. "You just reconnect and you realize there's a lot more people that are battling with the same things you are. And it just gives you hope to go on."

This is the sixth time the event has come to Billing and it won't be the last.

"We keep coming back to billings because we love being here, we love the people here," states Nunn Reed. "We hear from women year after year that not much comes to Billings in terms of this kind of an event that's supporting women. We just want to come back and be an encouragement and a source of life for them."

Both Ficek and Stabler say that every time they come to the conference they discover something new.

"It's so enlightening and informative," Ficek says. "Tou just want to keep coming back."

Stabler agrees.

"It's always uplifting and you get something out of it every time," the Miles City woman says.

With a full roster of motivational speakers and plenty of music, it's a weekend devoted to celebrating women and faith of any kind.

Women of Faith wraps up Saturady night at 5 p.m.

The conference will be back in Billings next year for the Women of Faith: Over the Top tour, set for April 8-9, 2011.