ST. LOUIS – The gift for attendees at a Christmas in August event for the Jefferson Baptist Associaiton Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) event was the conference itself.
The conference Aug. 17 had the theme “The story lives on,” and featured St. Louis author Brenda Poinsett and actress Donna Douglas, best known for “Elly May Clampett” on TV’s The Beverly Hillbillies.
Poinsett shared from one of her two Christmas-themed books Unwrapping Martha’s Joy, which asks can Martha have a “Mary” Christmas? The other Christmas book Holiday Living helps families put the “holy” in the celebration.
Poinsett’s 18th book Finding Peace With Things You Can’t Change is due to be released in September.
In addition to speaking and singing a cappella to the WMU group, Douglas also spoke with teens interested in theater and urged them to be grounded in Christ.
Breakout sessions included age-level training for WMU groups; Chronological Bible storying with Bob Poinsett; how to teach the Beverly Hillbilies Bible study; Story-cloth teaching with Stephanie Wolcott, Jim Vinice’s Pure Hearts, a counseling ministry for those with sexual perversions.
Craft classes were taught, and there was a session on potato jewelry where the goods are sold for missions work and projects.
An offering taken will help St. Louis homeless youth and provide school supplies and clothing for them.