(Submitted)
A sweet spirit of fellowship was prevalent Feb. 21-22 during the 10th annual Third Street Baptist Church (TSBC) Women’s Conference in Arkadelphia.
The goal of the conference is to unite local women and those from surrounding communities together for praise, worship, fellowship, Bible teaching and spiritual growth. Women’s Ministries Director Tammy White said it’s a time of revival and renewal for women seeking to strengthen their relationship with Christ while simultaneously forging bonds of friendship with sisters in Christ.
During the conference, special guest Kelly Minter, Lifeway author and speaker, presented the Biblical history of fruit bearing described in the Old Testament, highlighting God’s repeated faithfulness and blessing to His people. Additionally, she highlighted how the command to produce good fruit in the New Testament from Jesus shifts to a missional mindset, focused on impacting lives and souls for the Kingdom. She brought this message home with the passage from John 15 describing Jesus as the True Vine.
“For a believer in Christ, we must abide or remain firmly grafted to the True Vine in order to bear the good fruit and harvest of souls we have been tasked with,” White said.
“The importance of spending daily time in Bible study, prayer and obedience cannot be overstated. To truly live a joyful, abundant life in Jesus Christ, we must be firmly rooted in these disciplines to weather the challenges, temptations and storms of life.”
For many in attendance, White said it was an opportunity to visit with sisters from other churches in the community they might not see often. For the friends and family who traveled back to Third Street Baptist Church from surrounding cities and states, there was a spirit of homecoming and reunion.
“The worship sessions were truly powerful, and the spirit was felt deeply. The sanctuary was filled with voices, raised hands and intense emotion as God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were exalted, magnified and praised,” White said.
White said the conference has evolved over the past 10 years from an intimate, camp-like overnight setting on the shores of Lake Degray to the event held in 2025 with a well-known author, speaker and Bible teacher headlining the event. This year, more than 450 tickets were sold to the conference.
“In years past there have been crafts, games, breakout session groups and lots of food. Looking back, each event had a specific purpose in that place in time for the women of TSBC. Many friendships and bonds were forged throughout the 10-year history of this annual event that still stand strong today,” she said.
“Isolation, comparison and loneliness are tools our enemy uses against us. Women in today’s society are pulled in many directions with family, work and social obligations. Intentional women’s ministry events help strengthen our personal walk with Christ while experiencing the blessing and nourishment of Godly friendships. It reminds us we are not alone in our struggles and encourages us to press on.”
During the conference, the ladies collect an offering to go toward the ministry of Amity Community Methodist Church in Amity with a membership of approximately 40 people. They have a ministry every Wednesday where they pick up, feed, clothe, and share God’s love to around 75 underserved children. Third Street Baptist Church has adopted this church as its mission ministry, which they support year-round through financial donations, food, clothing, and items needed to fund this ministry in Amity. The women raised close to $14,000 for the community project.